Tangled
by juungi
Summary: Caught up in a game in which she wants no part. The death knell tolls for each participant, like a clock ticking away at their life. In the world of Gantz, tied to the most unlikely of candidates, she scrambles to recover her once normal life. Nishi x OC
1. Death's Descent

**A/N:** Completely separate of Gantz Minus (as I haven't read it) and has no affiliation with it. Takes place before the original events of the Gantz series where both Izumi and Nishi are present. There will be some degree of romantic development later on but the core of the story revolves around my own idea of what happened prior to Kurono and company's venture into the Gantz-verse. Please enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter O1 ; Death's Descent<strong>

She was running fast, so fast that she was out of breath. The sound of footsteps echoed down the empty alleyway like a haunting refrain, and louder than that was the rapid beating of her heart that pounded in her ears. The sense of fear was overwhelming.

_He's going to get me._

The hem of her skirt danced around her knees – _swish, swish_ – it was such a faint sound, but she tried to focus on it. She tried not to think about the echoing footsteps behind her that indicated her pursuer was drawing closer, or the fact that their labored breathing was just as loud as hers and the fact that she could hear it meant they were almost upon her. Blink away reality, she told herself, because all of this had to be a bad dream.

_Going to get me..._

Suddenly she darted around a corner, pausing only for a moment to place her hand against her chest, trying to steady herself. Calm down, she commanded her heart, though it refused to listen. Nervously, she peered around the corner. The street was empty. Her eyes widened. There was a leap in her heart – did she lose him? Had she gotten away?

Then, just as she had begun to feel some measure of relief, she turned to leave and noticed something eerily familiar obstructing her path. Standing as as silhouette with the glaring light of the setting sun sitting behind him, her pursuer appeared with a raised gun.

Startled, she took a step backward. One step, and then two. Two steps, and then three. Instinct kicked in and she scrambled to turn back around the corner she had come out of. A deafening crack suddenly broke through the silence that lingered in the area, and in that brief second she felt a crashing impact in her shoulder that jostled the rest of her body.

Her feet started dragging as she came to a sudden stop, awestruck as she gazed down at her left shoulder. Blood was oozing forth and the pain – it was excruciating. It took a moment for her to register. While she loitered there, another shot rang out. This time it punctured through lower abdomen, sending her stumbling forward as she lowered her hand to the wound.

Tears promptly sprang to the ducts of her eyes as her legs started moving again. Shakily they sprinted down the empty street, passing the trash that was strewn along the way – old bags, cartons, cigarette butts. And, she told herself, if she didn't get away, she would be laying there right along with all of that _shit._

_Going to get me..._

The hand on her abdomen was slick with blood, which was quickly coagulating as it squeezed between the cracks of her fingers where it worked as adhesive to keep them stuck together. She suddenly raised that hand, pressing it against the concrete siding of one of the buildings. Everything was starting to blur and she wasn't sure whether it was from shock or blood loss. But she did know there was a lump in the back of her throat and a burning trail of tears down her cheeks.

_I'm going... to die._

It was hardly a sudden, crushing realization – it was more so something that she knew was coming. Ever since she had spotted the shady looking man lingering outside the gates of her school. Thinking about it, she cursed herself for bothering with extracurricular activities. What good were they now? Because she had stayed later and waved her driver on ahead, claiming that she could walk home, now she was going to die. It was all for not.

But even in the last seconds she figured she had, she was clinging to life with all her might. Just a little farther, she told herself. It worked well enough to convince her legs to jostle her body a step or two forward, but then she collapsed upon her knees. Her senses were too overwhelmed that she barely registered the feeling, only vaguely aware where she fell face-first again the concrete.

There was an echo of footsteps again in the background and she figured it was her pursuer – coming to deliver the final blow. She was not sure why it was necessary. No one was going to find her. No one was going to look for her. No, she was going to bleed to death on the sidewalk alone, with her only witness the very person who murdered her.

Regardless of her pursuer – whose identity she still did not know – she closed her eyes. As much as she wanted to live, the darkness was calling her. It beckoned like a demon of temptation that she could not resist. Just give up, it told her.

And she listened.

—

"Oh, looks like there's one more."

It was the sound of a woman's voice. Was she still alive? The girl fluttered her eyes open, bewildered to find herself sitting in what looked like a room in an apartment building. Everything seemed like a blur as she whipped her head around – left to right. There were people gathered around what looked to be a bulky black ball. But there were windows on the side of the room and as she peered out... "Tokyo tower," she gasped in recognition.

"That's right," the aforementioned woman affirmed. "And while I don't know about you, little girl, I was stuck in a blizzard in Hokkaido freezing to death. So there is no way in hell I was anywhere near Tokyo when I blacked out."

"You didn't black out," someone else reasoned, "You died. We all died. This is divine punishment."

The incoming information was more than confusing.

"What's your name?" Someone else asked – a middle-aged man with a kind face.

Feeling a little relieved, she responded, "Haruka... Koizumi, Haruka."

"Well, then, Koizumi-san, don't be worried about the situation. The adults here will..." While the man rattled off on how the 'adults' would protect the 'children' present, Haruka took the time to peer around the room. She was startled to find a familiar face.

"N-Nishi-kun?"

The black-haired boy glared over at her with his beady, apathetic eyes. He hardly regarded her familiarly, quirking a brow. "Do I know you?" He asked sardonically.

"Young man, that isn't a nice way to address a classmate. You two are from the same school, aren't you? You are wearing the same uniform-"

"Sorry," the boy responded insincerely, "I don't associate with the people in my school, so I wouldn't know if she was."

Haruka swallowed hard at his cold-hearted remark. Perhaps she should have expected it. Even though she had noticed him in school, he always seemed unwilling to acknowledge the outside world – always cooped up in his own. But then, she had not known him for very long. Moreover, she had never actually spoken to him before. It was a little absurd to expect him to know who she was.

Out of nowhere, interrupting the chatter that had suddenly erupted in the room, the "big black ball" as Haruka had inwardly dubbed it, started... singing? "A new morning has come, a morning of hope~" Ah, she recognized it too – from that annoying morning exercise program. One of the maids was always listening to it as she worked.

At last the song ended and glowing letters appeared on the screen, some backwards and arrange awkwardly. Reading it made her feel a little dizzy, but Haruka believed she understood the gist of it. They were all dead – of course, they had to be, she knew because she'd been shot to death – and the "big black ball" had some plans of its own for them.

While others postulated the meaning of this new information. Nishi stood in the corner with his lips pursed. He watched them without speaking, looking completely detached. Haruka's first instinct was to look to him for protection and answers – knowing that he was a classmate. With his cold attitude, she felt a little put off. So instead, she kept close to the endearing old man who was also trying to make sense of it all.

"So what does this mean?"

"Are we really dead?"

"What's with this stupid ball?"

The same questions were swirling around in her head, all unanswered.

Suddenly more information popped up onto the screen. There was a picture of a shadowy-looking... "Lion?" Haruka spoke abruptly as everyone tried to figure out exactly _what_ it was supposed to be. Listed beside it was miscellaneous information that seemed little more than helpful.

"What good is this information?" Another teenager with a buff physique and pissed off look on his face blurted out in frustration.

The woman who had first spoken – who seemed to be from Hokkaido – responded, "Maybe we are supposed to find this thing? Is this some kind of fantasy show? Are there cameras here or something?" It was anyone's guess.

But more questions arose when suddenly three sides of the ball burst open. On the backside, a row of cases labeled with names. On the two sides there were various weapons. Nishi was one of the first to grab one of them, exercising little hesitation. There was no change to the look on his face, no signs of fear or apprehension.

Haruka, on the other hand, felt her legs wobbling beneath her as she stood up. "G-guns? Are we s-supposed to fight that thing?" It seemed like she was reliving the nightmare of her own death all over again.

"That's right," Nishi spoke in a suave voice, "If you capture that alien on the screen there, you'll get a million dollars. Everyone has an hour to do it."

It seemed a little fishy that he had been silent before yet suddenly offered this information out of nowhere. Was he joking or telling the truth? No one else seemed to care as they reached for a weapon. Even the middle-aged man grabbed up one of the clunky looking shotguns. "You don't have to worry about getting one," he told Haruka, "Us adults will protect you. Children should touch something as dangerous as a weapon."

Although it seemed to piss off the guy with the ripped muscles, no one else voiced any objections. Haruka felt ill-equipped to deal with the situation anyways. And even though she felt a bit guilty about it, she did not mind that she could just cling to the others without taking the responsibility of carrying one of those lethal looking devices.

Then – out of nowhere – people started disappearing. Dissolving was more like it – one at a time they were all fading away from the top of their heads, gradually to the tips of their toes. Nishi was the first to go, then the woman, then the pissed off teen. Before she knew it, Haruka too was dissolving. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, squeezing her eyes shut from the moment it started. Too scary, she thought.

"Open your eyes, crybaby," the ripped teen growled out harshly at her.

Recognizing his voice, and intimidated by him, she fluttered her eyes open and took a step back from him. He just snarled in response and she bowed her head apologetically. "S-sorry."

"Aw, hell. Girls like you are the most annoying."

Ignoring him, since he was now walking away, she looked around to see if she could spot that middle-aged man who had sworn to protect her. As soon as she saw him, she darted over toward him. "Hey, Mister, what should we do?"

"Let's stick together as a group," he offered, looking around at everyone.

The only person who seemed to agree with his line of thinking was the woman. Nishi had already seemingly disappeared alongside one of the other people Haruka had spotted in the room – a man, though she had already forgotten what he looked like, but she knew he had not spoken at all.

With only the three of them, Haruka stuck close.

"By the way, Haruka-chan," the woman said, "My name is Keiko."

"You can call me Hiroshi, Koizumi-san."

Knowing their names made her feel a little more comfortable and she offered them a smile as they trailed down the empty, dimly lit street. "It's nice to meet you." _Although I wish it were under better circumstances._ "Please take care of me." _I don't want to die again._ Her inner voice added unnecessary words that she did not speak out loud.

The trio seemed to wander endlessly. "I'm not seeing anything like that shadowy beast that the black ball showed," Keiko said in exasperation, breathing a sigh as she peered around the quiet neighborhood. In the ten minutes they had been wandering around looking around, they had not even spotted any of the others.

"Seems like we aren't making any progress. We should-" Hiroshi was abruptly cut off.

_**BOOM!**_

The ground shook nearby and a cloud of dirt suddenly shot up in the sky, alongside flying clumps of concrete – the street? Haruka gasped and dropped into a squat, covering her ears with her hands. _Is it an earthquake?_ she wondered.

Someone grabbed her wrist and Haruka was yanked out of her thoughts as she was strung along with Keiko and Hiroshi who were... Running straight to the accident site? "We should be running away!" she protested.

"That might be the thing we have to catch!" Keiko exclaimed excitedly. "Don't you want the million dollars? That money could feed me and my son – and, I could finally have proper heating in my house. No way I'm passing on this."

"My wife is sick in the hospital. This could really help me, too," Hiroshi agreed.

"Don't you want the money for yourself, too?"

Haruka furrowed her brows. "No, I just want to live..." And her voice trailed off, because she felt a sting of guilt. These people were willing to risk their lives, running into what appeared to be a dangerous situation, for money. Meanwhile Haruka could not admit to them that she happened to be the sole heiress of an impressive estate. Money meant nothing to her. It never had. Money could not buy loved ones that had been lost, it couldn't buy friends. But for these people, it meant their livelihood, drowning in debts and poverty, while she enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. The blue-eyed girl frowned, eyes averted to the ground.

The trio were nearly to the scene, rounding one final corner in their approach before stopping to find... A large imprint in the middle of an intersection. People and policemen had all gathered to investigate what appeared to be a crater.

"Looks like we missed it," Keiko spoke with bitter resignation.

Haruka tentatively stepped closer, feeling some measure of relief that the danger was gone. At least, for the moment. With all the people around, she felt a little safer. Curiosity got the better of her and she edged closer to the crater that everyone seemed to be peering down at. It took some effort pushing past the people that barely seemed to notice her. But when she finally emerged at the edge and looked down, she wished she had stayed back with Keiko and Hiroshi.

"Ahhh!" A blood curdling scream erupted from her throat that quickly got the attention of the other two that came scrambling through the crowd to her aid.

"What is it?"

Then they saw – down in that crater, crushed into the concrete was the body of that ripped teenager that had departed from them earlier. He had been completely mutilated, blood staining the area around him. His face was nearly indistinguishable, but it was that piercing on his left eyebrow that helped Haruka identify him.

But seeing this – this horrific sight – she couldn't hold it in anymore and started retching. Soon everything she had eaten, mixed in with her stomach bile, poured over the ground. Keiko, although shaken by it, managed to gain her bearings enough to pat Haruka on the back, in an attempt to reassure the young girl.

Reassurance was pointless, however, because with this revelation came a new barrage of questions. What had killed him? Why had it killed him? Was it going to come after them? What should they do? What _could_ they do? At least Haruka could postulate this: that shadowy monster that the black ball had revealed to them was probably the _thing_ that had crushed Muscle Man.

"W-we should... run away," Haruka said suddenly as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform.

Peering up at Hiroshi, Keiko asked, "Do you think that kid was lying to us? Do you think we really won't get the money if we get that big thing?"

Having completely forgotten about that, Haruka paused as she remembered. Nishi had been the one to claim that people would get a big pay off if they could capture that _thing_. She wanted to believe that he was not lying, but... Evidence was pointing to the contrary. This seemed like something completely over their heads.

"I don't know about you, but isn't it worth the chance that it isn't a lie?" Seeming to have resolved herself to the situation, Keiko lifted her hand away from Haruka's back as she took to her feet. "I probably froze to death there in Hokkaido in that blizzard. That means I was already dead before. But my heart is beating now, I'm still breathing – if this is a second chance, then that means maybe I can win money. Maybe I won't. If I don't, I'll just die again. If I do, then I will be rich _and_ alive."

"Right," Hiroshi agreed with a hesitant nod, eyes still glued to the gruesome sight below.

While they were preoccupied in their own conversation, the people around them were clamoring to the scene. "What do you think caused this?" They whispered among themselves. "Wow, that's a huge crater." In awe they all peered down at it, none seeming the least bit as affected as Haruka.

"H-how can you people look down there like it's a spectacle?" she asked indignantly in a hushed voice as she peered around at the amazed look on their face. "That man died and you are all just... standing there watching."

On the mention of that, Keiko waved her hand in front of the face of one of the people standing nearby. "Not that the situation isn't already weird," she said, voice faltering and cracking, "B-but... I don't think they can see us..."

"That may mean we really are dead," Hiroshi speculated.

Haruka's shoulders were trembling. Tendrils of her long, ebony-black hair fell in a curtain across her face as she huddled into a fetal position. She tried, silently, to wish it all away. It was too horrifying to deal with. Too gruesome, too disturbing.

"Come on, kiddo, up on your feet." Using the strength in her arms, Keiko forcefully lifted Haruka back up onto her feet, then took the young girl's hand. "I have a kid at home like you, and I know I would be really sad if something happened to him. I'm sure your parents feel the same, so let's go capture that thing then get out of here, 'kay?"

Feeling a little indecisive, Haruka hesitated, nervously averting her gaze from the fiery look in Keiko's chocolate brown eyes. "I-I... think we-"

"We had better get going or we'll lose him." Lifting the shotgun up into the air, Hiroshi turned and started maneuvering out of the crowd. Keiko followed after him, once again pulling Haruka along.

While they started down the street again in pursuit of the creature that had demolished Muscle Man, they followed the distant sound of large, earth-trembling footsteps. Haruka squeezed Keiko's hand tightly, trying her best to match pace with the other two. She was quickly running out of breath and silently wondered why the others seemed to be having an easier time than she was. Maybe because she had always been bad at physical activities.

But, suddenly, as she stared at Keiko's hand, she thought back to what Keiko had said. _"I'm sure your parents feel the same..."_ In the heat of the moment, Haruka did not have the opportunity to admit that both of her parents were already gone. From the time she was a child, the only person she could remember was her grandfather who raised her. (Well, more precisely his staff, since he usually kept himself at great distance.)

Maybe to an outsider it would then seem silly to be struggling so futilely to survive. Here was Keiko, a mother fighting to get back to her child, and Hiroshi, a man fighting to get back to his sick wife. Their battles had purpose. All Haruka had was the school activities she immersed herself in, her role as heiress, her position of popularity in the school's infamous femme fatale clique. Although she herself was merely a shadow that they leeched off of because of her riches. She even knew that. The servants, the friends – all of those people around her...

_**BOOM!**_

They were rapidly approaching the sound and it shook her from her thoughts. Haruka's chin jerked as she spotted it up ahead. Looming like the shadow of evil, the gigantic creature that resembled some mythical beast from a fairytale, suddenly turned its attention at the sound of their clamoring approach. Although it appeared to be like a phantom, its body opaque, there seemed to be a dark substance rising in thin wisps from its body, like smoke. And it barred its hideously sharp fangs at them, letting forth a fierce, piercing roar that caused the trio to cover their ears in defense.

Hiroshi who had been leading them dropped his gun, and the creature seemed to take that as its cue to charge. The middle-aged man was caught off-guard and while Keiko and Haruka were both able to stumble out of the way, he was immediately caught in the mouth of the beast.

Haruka staggered back into a brick wall, eyes frozen wide open as her jaw dropped in horror. "No, stop!" she screamed at the creature.

But its jaw had already clamped down. Blood spurted forth and spewed across the ground. The short curdling scream that had erupt from Hiroshi was silenced suddenly and the sound of crunching bones echoed through the air. Haruka collapsed onto the ground. A chill ran down her spine as tears brimmed in her eyes.

_What do I do? What do I do?_

Hiroshi's shot gun was too far out of reach for her to even hope to make a dash for without garnering the attention of the beast. It was completely hopeless. And the stench of death crept up on her; a corrosive scent that probably permeated from the open mouth of that creature as it gobbled up the rest of Hiroshi, gnashing at the last bit of bones and organs. It was putrid and before she knew it, Haruka was emptying her stomach again. The tears and the vomit mixed together in a puddle on the pavement beneath her. She stared at it hollowly, feeling a bit dizzy.

_It must all be a dream,_ she told herself.

She raised her hands jerkily up to her face, pressing her palms over her eyes. "It's just a dream," she mumbled in a quiet voice. Then a little louder. "It's just a dream. It's just a dream... It's just a dream. Has to be a dream."

Then the earth trembled and she slowly cracked her fingers open to see what was happening. The terrifying creature with its ghastly pale eyes and beady black pupils, had turned its gaze toward her. In a purposefully slow way, it was approaching. Keiko was nowhere to be seen, although Haruka could swear she had seen the voluptuous woman just moments ago. Apparently in the chaos she had been smart enough to run.

_So this is it,_ Haruka thought as she resigned herself to death. _I should have expected this. I already died once._ It was foolish to have hoped for anything to begin with.

And she watched solemnly as the monster opened its mouth. Those steel-trap jaws inched slowly toward her and as it breathed she felt a sudden gust buffet her face. It stunk of the corpses that the creature had undoubtedly consumed. The knots in her stomach twisted and she felt like throwing up again. But when the top jaw swooped over her head, she figured that was the least of her worries.

_I'm going to die._

She snapped her eyes shut.


	2. Struggling to Hold On

**Chapter Two ; Struggling to Hold On**

Vision having grown hazy and senses dulled, Haruka barely registered what was happening. Her mind had gone blank as an empty slate. The adrenalin coursing through her veins made her instincts kick in, but they were powerless to the yellow, jagged teeth that were encircling around her. With her back against the wall, there was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

It was supposed to be all over; her fate was supposed to be decided there. But then there was the sound of what seemed to be a loud explosion that prompted the creature to recoil, screaming in anguish. The cry it emitted was deafening and Haruka had to clamp her hands over her ears, but not before she heard someone yell and instruction to her.

"Move!" It was Keiko's voice.

Obediently, the black-haired teenager darted away. Her legs felt more like noodles than the bones they were made of and she nearly toppled over several times in her clumsy escape. She made sure to put a good distance between herself and that creature before chancing a glance back. Haruka regretted not just running.

The creature had long forgotten about Haruka. Its sights were set on Keiko, who was now pinned up against the same wall Haruka had been pressed against. The monster had cornered her and was crushing her with one of its appendages – it resembled a paw, as much as the creature itself resembled an animal.

Keiko's face contorted as she writhed in pain between the relentless grip of the beast that had trapped her. "Ahhh!" she screamed out, tears pouring down her cheeks. But her voice cut out abruptly when the monster leaned forward and snapped her head right off of her neck.

It was so swift that it took Haruka by surprise as she collapsed again, jaw trembling. "K-Keiko-san...?" She could not understand – failed to comprehend – just how or why she had been saved if only to see her companions killed. There was no running away from that _thing_. Haruka was not sure why she was still alive to begin with, but it was hopeless. She kept reminding herself of that. _Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless._

And seeming to agree with her, the creature turned and started creeping up. A shadowy form of saliva dripped from its jaw and onto the ground. Although Haruka was pretty sure some of that was Keiko's blood. But even thinking about it could not elicit a response from her stomach. She didn't even have the energy to throw up anymore.

The creature roared at her in its approach, and she stared at it unflinchingly. It was pointless to look away, pointless to stand up and try to run. She would be caught by it, hunted down. Ultimately, she was too disadvantaged. That is why she remained motionless even as it began its charge, mouth opening to grab her up – for the second time.

Haruka did not close her eyes.

As it turned out, she didn't need to; a sudden glint of silver passed by her face, briefly followed by a gust of wind that pushed her onto her side. At that exact moment, the creature snapped its jaw, narrowly missing her head. And soon after, the glimpse she'd had of that silver object had turned out to be a sword, and it sliced clean through that... _thing_.

Blood spurted everywhere, and Haruka barely managed to raise her arms protectively over her face. It left a thick, crimson coat of oozing liquid on almost everything. Including the man who had managed to slaw the beast. He happened to be the one she remembered from the apartment room; long black hair and intense dark eyes. While everyone else had been trying to figure out the situation, he remained silent – apathetic.

He swung his blade, sending the remnants of bodily fluid that had been left on it flying off. Then, with an uninterested look on his face, he peered over at her. "So you survived," he spoke in mock surprise, not seeming the least bit affected on way or the other.

"You saved me," she corrected with a renewed hope. A smile slowly creased on her lips but it faded just as quickly as it appeared. Haruka could not forget what she had witnessed – Hiroshi and Keiko's death. It was too gruesome and too vividly etched into her memory.

"Then I should have come a second later," he told her coldly.

Haruka gulped. Did that mean he had not intentionally come to her aid?

"Took it out already, Izumi?" A crackling sound came from behind her, and the girl whipped around, surprised to recognize Nishi standing there. He seeming had appeared out of nowhere. "This was an easy one..."

"E-excuse me... But... What do you mean see me again? What do you mean 'easy one'? Are there more?" The girl glanced nervously between the two men, her mind reeling to try and understand the situation she found herself caught up in.

Neither one seemed to really pay her any mind. They kept their attention directed toward each other, as the one named 'Izumi' off-handedly spoke a vague, "Yeah." Then without warning, from the top of his head, he started disappearing. It was a repeat of what had happened before; he was dissolving into the background. Nishi soon followed after him. The last to be returned was Haruka.

There was a sense of comfort about being back in the apartment room, which was now eerily quiet and somewhat empty. Haruka glanced around wistfully, her gaze briefly focused on the Tokyo Tower which still sat at a distance, reminding her of how she had first appeared in the room. "So this is it...? Did no one else make it?" she asked tentatively.

"They're all dead," Nishi answered vaguely, his back turned to her. Both he and the person he had called Izumi seemed to have their attention focused to the big black ball. "Hurry up and show us our scores, Gantz."

Blue eyes welling up with tears, Haruka hung her head. Images were still reappearing in her mind like a haunting slide show. The corpse of Muscle Man, crushed into that crater, and then Hiroshi and Keiko. It was all too vivid – too fresh in her mind. She did not understand how the other two could be so nonchalant about it. Quickly, she wiped away the salty liquid trickling down her face, looking up to see that the countdown on the black ball had ceased. It had started now scrolling through what Nishi had referred to as the "scores."

The first image to pop up on the screen left Haruka with her brows furrowed in bewilderment. "B-board breasts?" she read out loud, feeling a bit indignant that the derogatory nickname sat just above a cartoon-like image of her face. "A-and too little chest, too much running and crying?"

"So that's how she survived," Izumi surmised with a look of utter boredom, briefly glancing back at her before turning his gaze back to the black ball – which Nishi had referred to as "Gantz."

For the two remaining survivors, their scores were displayed as well. Yet for whatever reason, the ball with a corny sense of humor did not see fit to play its ill-intentioned jokes upon them. Once they saw their new point values, both Nishi and Izumi turned to leave without batting an eye at the still nervous and quizzical Haruka.

"W-wait," she called after them in a meek voice.

Neither person seemed to hear it, and as Izumi exited first, Nishi followed quickly after him. Unable to work up the nerve to chase them down for questioning, Haruka just lingered behind while they disappeared off. It took several minutes of silent contemplation before she resolved herself – reminding herself of the fact that she was alive. She told herself to just think of everything that had happened as a bad dream. Now that she was back in the "real" world, she could return to her own life. But then she paused at the thought of her murderer. The man who had chased her down intentionally. It was a premeditated attack.

She bit her lip, hands curled into tight fists. Taking a deep inhale, she prepared herself and started for the door, pausing only for a moment to peer over her shoulder at "Gantz." And as she looked at that large, out-of-place black ball that sat in the midst of the empty apartment room, she wondered if she would see it again. Wondered if, perhaps, this was just the beginning.

—

Sitting in an upperclass suburban district of Tokyo was a house, set apart from others by its rich Victorian style, vines crawling up a large white terrace sitting in front of the house. A wrought-iron gate lined the front, a concrete path leading up to the front steps. By all accounts it was large and grandiose. Lights were on inside and people seemed to be bustling about busily.

As the taxi driver dropped Haruka off at the front, she found herself wondering if the reason everything seemed to be in an uproar was because she had gone missing. It was not unreasonable that news about her being killed had circulated thanks to her killer, although it was certainly untrue that she had been done in, as she would soon prove. Back in the safety of her own home, she hoped that perhaps she could uncover the identity of the person who had come after her.

She lifted the clasp on the gate and entered without hesitancy, mounting the steps that led to the elevated wood porch. Then, as she trailed acrossed it, she paused as she spotted someone standing up on her balcony above. It looked like one of her personal maids, and yet right as she was about to call out to the woman, she overheard tidbits of the conversation...

The woman, slender and yet homely, had a cell phone prompted up against her ear as she leaned against the wooden railing of the balcony. "Yes, sir, we just got the call from the hospital... Yes. I will be heading over there immediately to ensure that the young mistress is well taken care of. Yes, sir... Yes."

Completely dumbstruck by the conversation she was hearing, Haruka furrowed her brows as she mumbled to herself, "Hospital...? What are they talking about...?" Clearly she was not in the hospital, and the possibility of someone trying to pass off as her double seemed positively absurd. Nonetheless the situation was altogether suspicious.

All of a sudden the front door cracked open and Haruka found herself scrambling to clamber down the stairs before jumping into the thorny rose bushes to hide herself. The throsn scraped against the surface of her skin, across her bared arms and legs and even her cheeks, but she muffled her own cry by slapping both hands across her mouth while peering through the shrubs to see who was exiting the mansion.

"The president seems especially concerned. Considering he had her transferred to Daisuke's hospital, I don't understand what he is so up in arms about. Sure she is still in critical condition but they expect a full recovery, don't they?"

"He is probably more worried about his own safety. If they targetted her for being the heiress, who knows if they will go after him next? We don't even have a clue who did it."

It was one of the butlers and the family's chef, gossiping amongst themselves. She would have noticed them to be an unusual pair if not for her preoccupation with wondering how – despite being right there in the rose bushes – she was also in a hospital. The more she thought about it, the more it was beginning to give her a headache.

_What do they mean I'm in critical condition? I am right here in perfect condition!_ As frustrated as she was, wanting to pop out and tell them that, she subdued herself with the reminder that even she still did not know who her killer was. (Or attempted killer, as that term was probably more precise considering he had failed – in a matter of speaking.)

Once the courtyard was deserted, she crawled out – on her knees and elbows – and scurried out the front gate, careful not to gather any attention. Waltzing into the manor with the news she had heard would cause an uproar, and before anything, she had to confirm herself what was going on. The help had said she was at "Daisuke's hospital." Daisuke had been a long time friend of her grandfather's, and it was little surprise that he would have her moved there.

Haruka dipped her hand into the pocket of her skirt, withdrawing her wallet. She peered inside. There was not much cash left, as she usually just used her credit cards as her grandfather instructed. But at least there was enough to get her to the hospital to check out the situation – though, frankly, she was not sure how to go about that.

_If I show up and anyone recognizes me..._

Squatting down on the sidewalk, she ruffled her hair vigorously while trying to think up a plan. To, moreover, figure out the situation she was in. If, as the help had claimed, Haruka really wasn't dead – what did that mean? Perhaps when she was shot and near unconsciousness someone had found her and gotten her help? She supposed that, in that case, it was possible for her to have survived. But then arose the question of how Haruka – the one who she was now, standing on the sidewalk and not in a hsopital – was also alive.

_Am I some kind of alien? A carbon copy?_

It frazzled her mind just to contemplate the possibilities. It was so overwhelming that she found herself on the brink of tears again, sniffling as she stood up and started shuffling down the sidewalk. Inwardly, she tried to calm herself down, tried not to panic, even as her mind was racing trying to figure out what to do.

_Ah,_ she thought suddenly,_ at the end of the street, on the other side of the cross walk, there is a convenience store. If I can use their phone..._

Suddenly she flew into a full-blown sprint, racing down the sidewalk as fast as she could (which, by all means, was not very fast). But her surroundings did blur around her in those few moments as she sped on, until her side was left aching and her breathing so shallow and labored that she was forced to slow her pace. Eventually, after several more bursts of running follow by brief breaks to catch her breath, she eventually arrived at the convenience store. Thankfully, it was just ten minutes before closing time.

She entered quietly, pressed her hand against the door. A chime sounded in the background as she trailed up the front counter, where the cashier was sitting on a stool, eyes drooping as though he was starting to fall asleep.

"Um, excuse me," she chanced timidly.

The boy blinked back sleep and slowly lifted his chin. "Are you ready to check out?" He asked blandly.

Haruka shook her head slowly, rustling the long flowing locks of ebony that fell around her shoulders. "Actually, I was going to ask if I could borrow your phone. It's really an emergency, so please-"

Motioning his thumb to the open door behind the front desk, he said, "It's there in the back. Just be done before we close." He did not even question why she needed to make the phone call. Maybe people asked a lot. Maybe he was negligent and did not care.

Regardless of whatever motives the boy did or did not have, Haruka hurried around the corner of the counter, opening the small swinging door to allow herself into the back. The boy did not follow after her, apparently trusting that she would see to her business responsibly – which, she did. As soon as she found the phone, she lifted it off the hook and pressed the receiver against her ear. At first her fingers, which were trembling from fear and panic, fumbled and she dialed the wrong number. Then she had to sputter out an apology to the angry old woman who answered on the other end.

She tried again.

It rang and rang and rang on the other end, seemingly endlessly, until she wondered if anybody was going to pick up. At last a female's high-pitched sounded in her ear, "Who is it, calling at this time of night?"

"Miho-chan?" Haruka asked, certain that this time she had gotten the number right.

"Haruka-chan, is that you? What are you calling for?"

Feeling a little relieved, Haruka did not waste any time. "I know this seems a little out of nowhere, but... Do you happen to have Joichiro Nishi's contact information?"

"Nishi? That creepy guy? Yeah, sure, I keep everyone's contact information, but... Why would you want to contact him?"

Before Haruka had the opportunity to respond and answer her friend's questions, the cashier peered in at her and said, "We are closing now. You need to leave."

Left with no time to sputter out an explanation, Haruka told her friend, "I'll be over at your house in a few minutes. Just have his contact information ready – oh, and if you have a jacket I can borrow and some food." Then, before Miho could question her again, she slammed the receiver against its holder and hurried out to the front room where the boy from before was sweeping the floor. The lights had already been dimmed. "Thank you for letting me use your phone."

He glanced up at her and just grunted.

As the seconds trickled into minutes, in the everflowing hour glass of time, Haruka hurried out to catch a taxi. (Considering the time of night and how densely populated that particular part of town was, catching a taxi took some measure of effort.) Before long she found herself peering out the window as the city flew by her. Sky scrappers and an array of flashing lights. From street side signs to stop lights to bill boards posted high and low.

It took about fifteen minutes to get over to Miho's house. Once there, Haruka hastily paid the driver with an unspoken "thank you." To little surprise, before she could even start up the walkway leading up to Miho's house, the spunky teenager had already burst out her front door and was speeding down to meet Haruka partway.

"Why are you still in your uniform?" The brown-haired girl asked immediately.

"That is-" Haruka paused in trying to explain. What point was there? Even Miho, who was supposed to be her best friend, would not be so quick to believe such a ludicrous story. How could it be believable? _"That's right, I was shot down dead in an alleyway by a man I don't even know, woke up in a room with a big black ball and a ton of other dead people only to be transported and massacred by some strange mythical-looking creature..."_ The first thing anyone would do is recommend her to a mental hospital. Sighing to herself, the blue-eyed girl slowly shook her head. "More importantly, do you have that jacket?"

Fumbling through the large sack she had been holding in her hands, Miho clumsily pulled it out – a large, zip-up fleece jacket with a hood. The navy blue color blended in with the night and since it was plain with no intricate design on the front, it provided some measure of added disguise. Haruka accepted it from her friend and donned it hastily, pulling the hood up over her head. She made sure to tuck her hair in so that not even a sprig was protruding.

"Are you running away from home?"

Looking at her friend incredulously, Haruka quickly answered, "No, of course not." _Why would you think that?_ Of course, she had to stop and put herself in Miho's shoes. From the outside, to any spectator, it did seem a little suspicious. "Well, something like that."

"I still don't understand how Nishi ties into this." Miho frowned, her brown eyes studying Haruka hard. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Do you really know what you are doing? At least for a night, I am sure my parents would let you stay here if you don't want to go home."

Although she knew full well that she could not divulge the entire truth of the situation to Miho, Haruka paused to debate the offer in her head. Considering all she had been through, even though a good night's rest seemed practically impossible, it seemed only logical to pause and get her bearings. If she at least tried to sleep a little, maybe it would help her gather her wits long enough to come up with some kind of solution to her situation.

But immediately she countered those feelings of security by reminding herself of her predicament. If, somehow, she – and not Haruka standing in front of Miho's house but the one in the hospital – had survived, then what kind of situation would that put Miho in? It was all too confusing, and Haruka was anxious to have some answers to sort things out in her head.

Suddenly her chin jerked up. "Actually, can I borrow your phone real quick? Let me have Nishi's contact information – see if he answers the phone. If not, then... I would be grateful if you would let me stay for hte night." And she smiled uneasily at Miho.

The girl with the bobbed hair cut gave a cheesy grin at her best friend. "Sounds good to me. I packed some leftovers from tonight into this sack, and it has Nishi's number on it, too. So, yeah, come inside and feel free to use the phone. Just try to be quiet. My parents just went to bed and it's already past time for me to be in bed, too..."

Following Miho, Haruka wandered up to the front of the house. They passed through the front door, and once inside Miho led Haruka to the kitchen where a phone was hanging up on the wall. Hastily the blue-eyed teen rummaged through the sack her best friend had offered her, recovering the folded sheet upon which Nishi's telephone number was scribbled. She slowly punched in the numbers on the face of the cordless phone, checking and double checking before putting the receiver up to her ear.

Then she waited.

And waited.

...and waited.

Much to Haruka's dismay, there was no answer on the other end. So she tried again. The end result was the same. For whatever reason, whether he simply was not answering or the phone number was outdated, she could not get into contact with him.

Standing nearby observing her best friend, Miho noticed the disheartened look on Haruka's face as she set the phone back on its holder. "Don't look so downcast," she chided. "Tomorrow is Friday, so it's a school day. He will be there, you know. If there is something you need to talk to him about, you can do it there."

At the mere mention of school, Haruka felt the rush of flashbacks... Working with student council late, then coming to the front gate onto realize there was a strange man, then the following pursuit that ended in two bullet holes in her body... She grimaced. "You're right," Haruka answered shakily, losing her nerve a little. It proved difficult for her to lie, but she knew that there was no way she could go to school. Not after what had happened, not when the remaining problem still stood. She hung her head in defeat as she turned to Miho. "Please let me stay for the night, then."

"Of course." Oblivious to her friend's predicament, Miho smiled. "But don't you want to eat first?"

The mention of food elicited a grumbling in Haruka's stomach, but somehow she imagined that she would just end up throwing up if she tried. So she merely shook her head. "Sorry, I really don't feel that great. I just want to sleep."

Not that there was any possibility of her being able to actually fall asleep... Unless she wanted to be endlessly tormented by nightmares.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Here I was thinking I probably wouldn't update this for a long time and inspiration struck me again today. Enjoy.

**personal snuggle muffin - **Thanks for reviewing. This story was a long time coming. I wrote the outline for it a long time ago and just could not get the first chapter written in a way that I found acceptable. I was satisfied this time around when I took a shot at it, though. Hopefully you enjoy it so far. And yes, Haruka is mixed blood, which will be explained later on in the story. :)


	3. Desperation

**Chapter Three ; Desperation**

"Ungh," she groaned drowsily, flipping around in the sheets tangled around her body. The sun was glaring in from the open curtains and Haruka found herself struggling to pull the pillow over her face. For some reason, unlike most mornings where she woke up feeling refreshed, she felt so drained. The nightmares she'd had were still fresh in her mind, having tormented her throughout the night. She cursed her active imagination. At least until she remembered that it was _not_ her imagination.

Startled by this sudden, rushing realization, she jolted upright. Her hair was frazzled from tossing and turning all night and was now sticking up in all directions. She scratched at her itchy scalp while peering around the room. Miho was nowhere to be seen.

When she looked at the clock. Haruka realized why. "N-nine o'clock already?" she gasped.

Throwing the duvet away from her body, she struggled to dump her feet onto the floor. The wood felt cold against her bare feet, but Haruka ignored it as she trudged through the room, rummaging through Miho's things to retrieve her clothes. She hastily changed out of the pajamas she had borrowed from her best friend the night before, steal – or borrowing, as she liked to call it – a pair of casual jeans and plaid t-shirt. Then she retrieved her grungy uniform, which smelled particularly like her own vomit, and stuffed it in the sack that Miho had provided her. Donning the jacket from the night before, she secured the hood over her head before tiptoeing toward the door.

Haruka wondered if Miho's parents were still in the house. She was pretty sure, if she remembered correctly, that they both worked throughout the week and left in the morning at about the same time Miho left to go to school. Regardless, even though she did not want to take chances, she knew she had to get moving. So she descended slowly down the rickety wooden staircase, hearing nothing but pervasive silence throughout the house. When she arrived at the bottom floor, she hurried to the front door and slipped her shoes on.

Before anyone – if there was anyone even home – could spot her, she was slipping outside while closing the door with a soft nudge before hurrying down the sidewalk. Considering she had spent most of her money on the taxi to get to Miho's house, Haruka was running low on resources. Finding Nishi took priority, and while she was pretty sure he was attending school, she did not want to chance going anywhere close and being recognized. Not until she figured out her situation. Since Nishi was the only person besides Izumi who had survived, she had little choice in who to go to for help.

But since he was not answering his phone and, being at school, even if she tried again he would not be able to answer. That meant the only option she had was to track down the address linked with the phone number that Miho had given her, and hope to God that it led her to him.

—

It was late afternoon by the time she had managed to fumble through some phone books, hunting down the address linked with the phone number she had. Several people had taken her for a bum, and the derisive looks they gave her made her feel little more important than the dirt she walked upon. Put in proper perspective, she could understand why they thought of her that way – she did not exactly smell the best.

Being the midst of spring, with the sun scorching the earth, it did not help considering that her disguise rendered her unable to escape her own perspiration. Haruka sighed to herself as she traipsed down the empty road, a crumpled note held tightly in her fist. She was almost to his apartment, and although she did not know the time, she was sure that he should be headed home soon.

Up ahead she spotted it – a dilapidated building with crack siding and an unsteady looking steel staircase leading up to a second floor. According to the information she had, and peering at the numbers of the apartments on the bottom floor, it appeared that Nishi's was on the second floor. So she took a seat, hesitantly, on the steps, and waited.

When she had been scrambling this whole time to figure out her situation, it seemed a little anticlimactic to be reduced to sitting and staring down the street, hoping that her information proved to be accurate. Exhausted, she leaned against the side of the building, breathing strained from the heat. Yet, stubbornly, she kept her jacket and hood on to cover up her identity. It seemed a little absurd, she knew, because the area was, by all appearances, empty. But she also did not want to take a chance at this point, when she had already come so far. So she convinced herself to hold out – just a little bit longer, she told herself.

But she seemed to be waiting in vain, because the minutes quickly passed by into what was surely an hour. The sun was starting to dip into the horizon. Darkness was rapidly flooding the streets, and a few of the residents of the apartment building were coming home, passing her by without batting an eyelash at her presence. Inwardly, she debated about asking them whether Nishi really lived here, but her courage faltered with how unfriendly they looked. (Definitely not the best part of town.)

By the time she was inwardly debating whether or not to give up, she spotted a silhouette in the distance. Haruka hastily stood up, waiting in anticipation as the figure came closer and closer. At last when the distance between them shrank, she was able to recognize that it was _indeed_ Nishi.

"Nishi-kun," she called out to him immediately, feeling a wave of relief hit her.

Those unfocused, blank eyes of his turned in her direction. The bored look on his face remained unchanging. There was not even a flicker of recognition on his face, as though he remember who she was. Nor did he ask what she wanted. Instead, he just walked right past her and mounted the rickety staircase that squeaked under his weight as he climbed to the top.

"Wait!" Haruka exclaimed as she clumsily tripped over the stairs, trying to follow after him. "N-Nishi-kun, I need your help-" There was the abrupt sound of jingling keys as he unlocked his door. Without even looking at her, he opened his door. Just before he was able to slam it shut, she tried to blurt out enough to get his attention, "I never really died!"

That seemed to pique his interest, giving him pause. The door remained slightly ajar and those eyes of his, now narrowed, looked back at her. "You stink," he said blankly, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips as he started to close the door again.

"Wait!" she protested, sneaking her hand in the small crevice that remained. Haruka grimaced when the steel door smashed her hand against the threshold, but she maintained her composure well enough to try and explain. "I have no else who would understand, no one else who could help me. Just come with me – to the hospital. That's where everyone says I am."

"... What for?"

The way he coldly answered back as though the situation had nothing to do with her temporarily stunned Haruka. "What do you mean? I'm asking for your help, so please..."

Averting his gaze for a moment, he seemed to inwardly debate whether or not to accept. Haruka was about to pour on some more begging – throwing her dignity aside, if need be – but finally he accepted. "If that's the truth then it could be interesting..." Although he did not look the least bit interested, even as he stepped back out of his apartment, locking the door before stuffing the keys into his pant pocket.

Haruka did not have room to complain at all, she was just glad that she did not have to spend long trying to convince him. No matter the reason why he seemed to be interested, Haruka was just glad that he had agreed. "Thank you," she said to him, although her gratitude only seemed to annoying Nishi who gave her a slight glare as he brushed past her and started down the stairs.

She followed quickly after him and when they reached the bottom, he stopped and turned back toward her. "Which hospital?"

"It's a little ways from here," the blue-eyed girl explained, readjusting her hood to make sure her face was well-hidden. "Although it will take a while to walk, I actually don't have any more money for a cab. So, um..." Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Haruka was not sure whether it was more humiliating that someone like Nishi had to see her in such a pathetic state or the fact that she had to beg him for his time _and_ money.

"So that's why you came," he surmised in a cool tone.

Quickly, Haruka shook her head. "No, that's not it – I mean, it sort of is..." She stuttered in her attempt to explain, trying not to offend him. "That is, you are the only person who understands my circumstances, right? Because, you are the only person I know who has also... Been through the same thing."

"I'm not interested in understanding you... So let's just hurry and get this little hospital visit over with." His face was back to being as expressionless and unreadable as ever. Nonetheless, the two made their way to a main street, caught a cab, and off they were.

Haruka noticed, sitting in the back seat beside Nishi, that he seemed inclined to put as much space between the two of them as possible. She was not sure whether it was because he had a deep contempt for her or if was merely the stench. _Probably both_, she thought dejectedly to herself. To preoccupy her thoughts, she peered out the window. With the sun setting in the distance, the way the light reflected upon the skyscrapers made them an unusually beautiful sight. As she was gazing at the scenery, she lost herself in it. A welcome escape from her tormenting thoughts. But the whole ride, much as she tried to ignore it, the growling of her stomach was a constant noise in the background. And while she was pretty sure the hum of the engine drowned it out well enough so that the taxi driver did not hear, Haruka was pretty sure Nishi noticed her hunger – whether he cared or not.

The spinning wheels of the car slowed gradually as the driver rounded the front of the imposing figure of one of Japan's most prominent hospitals. As soon as it stopped, Nishi was exiting the vehicle and Haruka was left scrambling to take her leave as well. And just as she closed her door, she heard the driver cursing in complaint about how that "little prick" did not even pay him a tip.

Considering Nishi's brisk pace, his long legs were moving at a rate that left Haruka nearly jogging beside him to keep up. It proved difficult to stay walking beside him, because she was forced to dodge oncoming nurses and hospital personnel – crying guests and wheel chairs, among other things – but eventually they came to front desk.

"May I help you?" One of the attendants asked blankly.

Haruka swallowed hard, her head swimming as she tried to think up words to speak.

"We are concerned classmates," Nishi said smoothly, "Here to see Haruka Koizumi."

Skeptical of his intentions, she narrowed her eyes. But whether she thought he was lying or not, the woman typed in the given information into the computer. "Sorry, but the family has already stated that no visitors are allowed. Only close relatives."

Although she had expected as much, Haruka felt defeated. She hung her head, face crestfallen. "I suppose we should go then, Nishi-kun-"

"Tell me her room number."

Her mouth dropped ajar. Was he really demanding such information? That would only lead to trouble, Haruka was sure of it, because surely the personnel would refuse to disclose that information to just anyone.

"I already told you-"

Out of the corner of her eyes, Haruka spotted Nishi reaching into the pocket of his vest, and although it was dark, she was pretty sure she saw one of those guns – one he had apparently taken from the apartment room that Gantz was in. Immediately she panicked – _is he going to threaten that woman with the gun? –_ and she grabbed his arm, shaking her head furiously. Perspiration trickled down her face and her hands were trembling.

He paused to glance back at her, obviously annoyed. Then, finally, he asked, "How badly do you want to know whether you survived or not?"

"Really bad, but not bad enough to watch you threaten someone."

Lips taut in a smile that sent chills down Haruka's spine, Nishi lifted his brows questioningly. "Then we can do this instead."

Before she could question what "this" was, she felt something slam against her stomach. All of the breath in her lungs fled through her nose and open mouth as she doubled over. The world seemed to spin around her and she could only vaguely register as her knees crashed against the ground. In the next moment, she found herself toppled over and staring up at the ceiling.

The woman who had been behind the counter rushed to see what the problem was, kneeling down while calling out to Haruka. "Miss? Miss? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Haruka's eyelids fluttered. She felt like throwing up again. "Don't... feel so good..." It was hard to speak; she still had not quite regained normal breathing. She took gasping breaths as the woman helped prop her up. It was an enormous relief when the oxygen fled in through her nose and mouth. For a moment there she had felt as though she was suffocating – like death was upon her. Blearily, she searched her surroundings for Nishi, who had suddenly disappeared. She spotted his head, halfway hidden behind the monitor the attendant had been sitting behind moments before.

Although slow to realize, she gathered that he had used her as a distraction to look up the information they needed. So, while she hated to be underhanded by lying, it seemed a preferable alternative to using one of those guns that Nishi had to threaten the information out of the woman.

"Ohh, my stomach hurts..." Haruka groaned melodramatically, sounding more than a little over-the-top. Her acting skills were terrible, but the woman seemed to buy into it.

"We should get you to a room quickly – what's wrong with your stomach?"

"It huuurts," she whined back at the woman, writhing on the floor like a worm to try to keep the woman from hoisting her up onto her feet. (After all, she did not actually _want_ to be escorted to a room – only to play it up long enough to give Nishi the time to recover the information they needed.)

As soon as she spotted him leaving the area from behind the desk, Haruka shot upright. "Oh, I think the pain has passed." And she smiled unconvincingly at the lady.

Bewildered about Haruka's spontaneous recovery, the woman stared up at the young girl quizzically.

Bowing her head apologetically, Haruka said, "About Koizumi-san, we will be sure to come back in the future when her family will allow visitors." It was an attempt, albeit a poor one, to dispel any suspicions the woman might have about them.

Instead of waiting for a response from the woman, Haruka was forced to chase after Nishi who had already begun to wander down a side hallway. It took her a moment to catch up to him. She was, however, still holding her stomach. The pain had yet to completely fade, but she was not about to voice a complaint to Nishi. He did not seem to have a hint of guilt on his face, and although it left Haruka feeling uncomfortable, she would rather take the pain than see someone else take it.

"It's on the fourth floor," Nishi said suddenly, giving Haruka a jolt of surprise.

They abruptly rounded a corner finding the zig-zagging stairs that would lead them up. Although Haruka's first instinct was to protest and beg him to take the elevator, she rethought that plan – considering how she stunk, the close proximity of any other persons that would be in the shaft with her. She pursed her chapped lips and followed after Nishi, mounting the steps and clambering up haphazardly.

Her footsteps were clumsy and nearly misplaced, causing her to trip several times. It was only pure luck that she was not sent reeling back through the air. Frankly speaking, after all the exercise she'd had while hunting down those _things_ – monster is what they were – and running all over town trying to locate Nishi, and find food and shelter (maybe not in that order), Haruka was exhausted.

By the second floor her breathing was labored and she had to pause to take a deep breath. Meanwhile Nishi just climbed on ahead without a glance back in her direction. It seemed as though he did not even notice that she was lagging behind, or perhaps more correctly, he did not care.

So Haruka bit back the pain and exhaustion that was starting to wear on her, and she continued. Her hands, clammy from all the sweat, had a slippery grip on the railing as she ascended. When finally she had reached the fourth floor alongside Nishi, she thought she would collapse.

Much to her surprise, the silent, serious-faced boy finally gave pause enough for her to catch her breath. At first she thought it was her benefit, but he seemed to be glaring at her. "Are you going to make it?" Rather than being a question spoken out of concern, it was more or less him asking whether he should leave her behind of not.

Regardless, the break was more than enough for her to regain enough composure to start breathing normally again. "I can make it..."

The hallways on this floor proved to be fairly empty. There was the occasional nurse or physician that walked past, at a brisk pace with a serious look on their face – they had no time to be suspicious of Nishi and Haruka. (Much to Haruka's relief.) Only the sound of Nishi's footsteps, reverberating off of the empty walls, filled the silence between them as they passed by dozens of doors. She was beginning to wonder if Nishi even knew where he was going, but at last he paused at the end of a hallway.

"There," he said abruptly.

Behind a glass panel with blinds half-closed, Haruka could vaguely make out the outline of a person on a hospital bed. They were tied up to so many machines, not the least of which was a heart monitor, a green line spiking up and down gradually with ever beat from the girl's chest. Beneath the oxygen mask that covered half of the girl's face, the only thing that was noticeable was the long strands of ebony black hair that were splayed out against the pillow she was resting upon. Her eyelids appeared to be firmly closed, however.

"She's still unconscious." It felt strange talking about herself. "That's really me, isn't it?"

_No,_ her mind corrected inwardly, _that is Haruka Koizumi. You are a nobody. _It certainly felt that way; as though her identity had been stripped from her. With her real self – if it could be called a real self – laying in a hospital bed, the person looking in was nothing more than a nameless spectator. It made her dizzy just thinking about it.

"That proves that," Nishi spoke quietly beneath his breath. By all distinctions he seemed to be immersed in thought, but somehow the expression on his face belied that because he did not look the least bit interested as he gazed in at the "other" Haruka.

"Proves what?" she questioned curiously.

"Exactly what you wanted to know." Once again, he was being vague. But as soon as he said that, Nishi turned to leave.

Haruka made a quick grab for his wrist, and he quickly shook her off. "Wait," she protested, "Now that you see what kind of situation I'm in, I really need your help. No one else knows, no one else can help me. Please, I'm begging you."

He looked back at her coldly, beady eyes narrowed, and said a simple, "No."

Unable to let things go at that, she gave chase. Haruka was practically on his heels as he maneuvered through the hallways and back to the staircase from whence they'd come. "P-please... I don't know why – I don't understand how this happened. I thought that I had died, but -"

"You still might," he countered, suddenly whipping around and withdrawing the gun from his pocket. Nishi aimed it, unflinchingly, at her forehead. The barrel was level with her forehead, easily capable of taking her head off. "After doing this much, you should be grateful. Now I'm going home. Follow me if you want to die."

Stopped dead in her tracks, Haruka stared at him unblinkingly. "If you'll just listen-"

"I have no obligation to listen," he interrupted. Then, slowly, he lowered the gun from her forehead and slipped it back into her pocket. Nishi pivoted on his heel and continued toward the door leading to the stairwell.

"How did you die?" she asked after him tentatively, then a little louder, she declared, "I was murdered!"

Once again, her habit of suddenly blurting something out gave him pause and he peered back at her. Haruka wasn't sure whether it was curiosity or resentment that shined in his eyes, but regardless she had his attention. "Explain." Apparently he was interested after all.

It was too early to feel relieved, though. "A-After school, when I finished with student council and I was coming out of the school gates to leave... I saw someone suspicious standing there. Right as I started to call my driver he came after me – ripped the phone out of my hand. I started running, fast as I could, and he had a gun... He fired at me.." She paused, nearly out of breath as she hurriedly elaborated on the situation. "Eventually he caught up to me and shot me here and here," she pointed to her abdomen and shoulder respectively.

Nishi just stared at her.

"W-well," she fumbled, not sure what else to say, "That's really all I know..."

"It's not your problem now," he responded dryly. "As far as the culprit is concerned, you're laid up in the hospital in critical condition. Eventually he'll finish the job and kill the Haruka here, but be none the wiser about this Haruka." He pointed toward her.

"B-but that's..." The blue-eyed girl tried to protest, feeling uncomfortable with Nishi's logic.

"Unless you want revenge."

Wide-eyed, Haruka stared back at Nishi with trembling lips. Revenge? That had never been on her mind. She just knew that she had been specifically targeted and that he was certainly right – her assailant would come back to make sure the job was finished. But why? Why did someone want to kill her? That was something she wanted to know – had to know.

Cocking his head back, Nishi regarded Haruka condescendingly. "You're not the type." He said it like it was a bad thing.

"Then what should I do?" she asked, voice tinged with desperation.

"Move on," is the only words he offered as he once again turned his back on her to leave.

* * *

><p><strong>AN - **Thanks for the reviews, guys! That really motivated - I'm really enjoying writing this story. Not enough Gantz fanfiction on here. (Maybe that's because a lot of people don't like all the blood/gore/explicit content of the anime/manga?) Well that's what drew me to it - it's my absolute favorite. But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Thanks to my beta reader, Xephy, for helping me with my Engrish.


	4. Reality

**Chapter Four ; Reality**

There was a lingering stench that reminded her of sweaty feet. Haruka choked back her breath as she trudged into the crowded subway, where dozens of homeless people had crowded to seek shelter in little cardboard huts – at least the ones who were fortunate to have those. Others were huddled beneath several sheets of old newspaper. It was difficult to swallow the scene laid out before her. It was worse than she would have ever imagined.

Pampered in a house and given a sense of grandiose self-importance from her youth, Haruka was hardly prepared to live like a pauper. Her shoulders slumped as she nervously peered around for an empty spot to call "home." She was mildly repulsed as she passed by a man who looked more than a little grungy – she silently wondered when the last time was that he had seen a shower. Then again, she reminded herself, when was the last time _she_ had seen a shower?

Sullen about the situation, she nevertheless discovered a small spot between two of the aforementioned cardboard huts. Settling herself down, she pressed her back against the concrete wall and hugged her knees. It was humid and stuffy here underground and she found herself sweating even worse than before. The underarms of her sweatshirt were soaked through. Surely it stunk something fierce, but she didn't really have any options.

The hopelessness had gradually sunk in since Nishi abandoned her at the hospital. Inwardly, she had debated returning to Miho's house, but that was impossible. It would not be long before – if it hadn't already happened – the school was informed about Haruka (the _other_ Haruka) being hospitalized. Then it wouldn't take long for Miho's suspicions to be aroused and.. Well, thinking about it was just a tangled mess of drama that Haruka didn't feel inclined to sort out.

She pressed her face against the back of her knees. Tears were involuntarily rolling down her cheeks. It wriggled past her lips and the salty taste rolled across her tongue. Disgusting, she thought, but it reminded her of her thirst. She hadn't had anything to drink for a while. At home, there was always bottled water provided in the fridge for her. Out on the street, she would have to resort to drinking from a bathroom faucet. As for food? She supposed – and it disgusted her just to think about it – that she would have to go "garbage diving" to find some scraps.

"Hey..."

Even though Nishi had so flippantly told her to move on, he did not seem to understand at all the implications of having nothing. Haruka's very identity had been robbed. Where was he supposed to go? What was she supposed to do?

"Hey."

Maybe it would have been better if she had died after all. What was there to live for in her current state? Where she had lost everything, where she was homeless, poor, and alone.

"Hey!"

Suddenly her head jerked, vision spinning rapidly as she focused on the wrinkled face of a perturbed looking old woman. Eyes narrowed into slits, the woman regarded Haruka with suspicion. "What are you doing down here? I don't recognize you..."

"A-Ah," Haruka stumbled with her words, unsure of how to explain, and quite frankly terrified of the person towering over her. "Actually... I just lost my home, so..."

"That's nice," the woman bit back at her, "Everyone else has the same story."

She gulped. "O-Oh... Well, um..."

"I don't want to talk to you, Pockets," the woman addressed Haruka rudely. _Pockets? What does that even mean?_ "I just want you to move out of the way so I can get in my box."

"P-Pockets?" Haruka chirped questioningly. She stiffly stood and moved aside, allowing the burly old woman to go down on her hands and knees before climbing inside of her little "house." Once she was inside, Haruka returned to sitting in her spot.

But a moment later, the woman peeked her head out, glaring at Haruka, as though she was going to say something rude. Then suddenly, her hand popped out from within the cardboard box, and cradled in her hand was a small piece of bread that she extended toward Haruka. "You stink of money," the woman told her, "Riches don't belong in these parts. Get out soon."

Although she fully planned to heed the warning, Haruka gratefully accepted the food. "Thank you, Auntie."

The woman snorted at how familiarly Haruka called to her. "Really, being called that by a kid. Hmpf." And she ducked back into her box.

The bread which the woman had offered proved to be stale and tasteless, but Haruka's growling stomach made no complaints. She bite down into it – _crunch, crunch_ – and while it did little to satiate her hunger, she did notice that her nerves had calmed down a bit. Haruka didn't feel quite as jittery as before, mind racing a thousand miles a minute. Instead, an overwhelming calmness had subdued her anxiety. Most likely because she was starting to get drowsy – having had a long day – and before she knew it, she had slumped to the side and fallen into sleep.

Since she was so exhausted, there was no opportunity for haunting dreams to plague her. At least, if any did, she did not remember them by the time she woke up. (And honestly, considering the way she woke up, how could she?) Haruka was not sure what time it was, but all of a sudden she was ripped back to reality when something heavy (and stinky) collapsed upon her.

"Augh," she heard a voice grunt and groan as she struggled to crawl out from beneath the weight. Turned out to be a drunkard apparently, who just rolled to the side when she pushed him away. He reeked of liquor and she found herself pinching her nose and choking on the stench as she stood up and stepped over him, careful not to step on the man.

Even though she hardly managed to get an adequate amount of sleep, Haruka figured there was no possibility of staying in that spot with a drunkard beside her. The fear bubbling in the pit of her stomach would keep her from falling back asleep, anyways.

Clambering up the stone steps, she found herself in the midst of a bustling cross section. Despite darkness still lingering upon the core of the city, it was lit up like Christmas – from the traffic lights to the glowing bilboards, it hardly seemed like night. Haruka tiredly trudged down a street.

In the time she'd had to sleep and to think, she had come to a conclusion. There was little left for her in life, but if she wanted to cling to it so much, then the first step was to seek help. Even though Nishi had so thoughtlessly abandoned her, he was still her only lifeline – the only option she had. Having lost all sense of pride and dignity, she hoped that maybe if she begged him, he would take some pity on her. (Although he did not seem the type.) Even though he had already threatened to kill her, it hardly seemed to matter. What was death when she had little existence anyways? If he could just help her climb out of the slums, she would grasp the string of life herself and never let go. But to make the first step, she _needed_ him.

She breathed a sigh of resignation. What more did she have to lose when she had already lost everything? By morning she could make it back to his apartment.

—

All the way to his apartment she had maintained her nerve, fierce determination burning in her chest. She had resolved herself, and yet the moment she found herself standing at his door step, staring down the small peephole that was at eye level with her, she found herself becoming nervous. _Should I knock?_ She wondered. _Or is it too early?_ The sun had barely begun to light up the sky and she was about to obtrusively impose herself on him again. Would it be better to wait? Should she just do it? Haruka hesitated, hand poised to knock.

The longer she loitered there, the more her inner thoughts convinced her that this entire endeavor was pointless. Nishi would surely turn her away as he did before. It was hopeless – she should just give up. Those weighty thoughts came crashing down on her heart and slowly, she retracted her fist from the steel door. Her brows were furrowed as she started to turn away.

Then, as though some supernatural force refused to let the fires of hope in her extinguish, she suddenly saw the silver knob turn, followed briefly by a creaking sound. Nishi peered out with those narrow eyes of his, his face relatively devoid of emotion. "You have been standing on my porch for the past fifteen minutes."

At first she felt a sting of guilt, but that was promptly followed by embarassment. "H-how did you know it was fifteen minutes?"

He seemed to grunt in amusement, a wry smirk lifting one corner of his lips. "Going to beg me to help you again?" Apparently she was predictable.

Feeling a little awkward, Haruka bowed her head apologetically. "I-I don't mean to bother you again. I am really thankful to you for helping me at the hospital. But... That is... Actually, I..." She struggled, trying to figure out how to say it.

"You smell like the slums."

Her cheeks flushed red, but he surely couldn't see it beneath the shadow cast by her hood. "S-sorry, I don't have any other clothes and... Actually, that's why I..."

"So I was right," he surmised, "You are going to ask for help again. Just like you leeched off of those other two, who were killed instead of you. Do you think you'll be lucky enough to manipulate someone into helping you again next time?"

Shocked by his harsh words, Haruka dropped her jaw agape. "I—uh-"

"Survival of the fittest – if you can't figure out how to defend yourself then you are better off dead."

As her mind, jumbled and flabbergasted, reeled in all directions, Nishi abruptly shut the door on her. The sound of the slamming steel left a resound thud that echoed into her ears and coincided with the feeling that her heart had dropped into the pit of her stomach – her empty stomach. Haruka's lips trembled. Her eyes moved from side to side as she searched in her head for what to do next, for what she could have said.

Yet, once again, something surprising happened as the door went flying open and Nishi stepped out. Haruka, whose gaze was already directed toward the ground, immediately noticed the shoes upon his feet. Was he going somewhere? When she lifted her eyes to glance at him, face filled with curiosity, she was met with a glare.

Then she heard the jingling of keys as he turned his back toward her. But then, before he inserted the key into the deadbolt, he paused, and stuffed it back in his pocket. It was really strange, she thought, because last time he'd made it a point to lock his door. Yet he just turned on his heel without doing so this time, heading straight for the stairwell.

"Wait," she called after him, "What about your door? You forgot to lock-"

"Two hours," he interrupted, "I'll be back in two hours. Be gone by then."

Slowly she blinked, confused by the meaning he inferred in those words. Did he mean she was free to enter? Since he purposefully left it unlocked... But Haruka hesitated, not knowing. As much as her instincts told her to go in, her conscience told her it wasn't right. In the end, her will to live – wanting to shower and eat – overpowered any guilt she might have had as she reached for the door knob.

Once she was inside, she noticed that his apartment was pecuilarly clean. Apparently no one lived with him. She remembered hearing the news that his mother had committed suicide not long ago. Since that time, she had assumed he was living with a relative – like his father or a sibling – but apparently he had neither.

Her stomach grumbled and as much as she wanted a shower, her first inclination was to inspect his kitchen. (Or lack thereof, since it consisted of only a refrigerator and a microwave.) Rummaging through his cupboards, she was a little disappointed to find them relatively empty. He did, however, happen to have a rice. And with some more rummaging, she found a steamer. So while it was a rather plain meal, she started some rice steaming.

In the time it would take the food to finish, she decided to shower. But first – and the guilt was overwhelming a this point – she needed to borrow some of his clothes. Surely it would probably anger him, but what she was wearing stunk like pigs in a mud farm. (Not that she knew what that smelled like, but she likened it to the stench of her clothing.)

So she took the liberty of searchin through his drawers for something suitable – knowing it would surely be baggy on her when she put it on – and then located his bathroom. Without a moment's hesitation she threw her clothes off and turned on the water. Hot or cold, it didn't matter. All the same it would take off the stench of vomit and sweat, the blood and the dirt caked on her. At first it was freezing as it hit her skin, but the frigidness just helped numb the overwhelming sense of dread and fear that had crept up on her.

As the water poured down over her, it mingled with the tears that wriggled lose from the ducts of her eyes. The solitude, although lonely, was a relief as she cried freely. There was no one to hear her, no one to point fingers. All at once it just came out – the sadness, the grief. All of the pent up feelings that had welled up in her chest like an angry monster threatening to spill loose at any moment.

Once her shower was finished and she dried herself off with one of the towels she found in the cabinet of the bathroom, she donned the clothing she had borrowed from Nishi. As expected, it was too big – the neckline of the shirt sat lopsidedly, revealing her left shoulder. The pants threatned to fall right off, barely dangling across her bottom.

With damp hair, she hastily cleaned up the mess she had created before hurrying back out the kitchen. Since the rice was done, she hastily made them into riceballs, something she had learned to do as a child. (Basic cooking, which was the only thing she knew how to do, for her own survival.) In total, she managed to make five rice balls. Considering Nishi's obvious lack of food, there was nothing to put in them. They were incredibly plain. But, as she reminded herself, food is food.

Famished with a growling belly, she quickly devoured the first two, slowly down as she reached the third. But, although her belly still ached with hunger, she paused before taking the last two. Instead of eating them, as she had planned, Haruka left them sitting out on the counter, cradled by the ceramic plate she had found in Nishi's cupboards. Noticing that time was passing quickly, she finished cleaning up the mess she had created. Then, gathering her old clothes, she headed for the door.

She was long gone by the time Nishi returned. Her old clothes were discarded amongst the black trash bags sitting at the end of the stairwell. Due to the fact that they were Miho's borrowed clothes, Haruka did not want to stay in them. In her fear that, somehow, someone could use them to track her down.

And now as she walked down the street, rays of the sun licking at her face and exposed arms, she felt a strange sense of contentedness. It was the first time in a while that her stomach, while not full, was at least not growling incessantly.

The sense of renewal led her to doing the only thing she knew she could – searching for a job. Without an identity, it proved difficult, however. It was impossible to fill out an application. As a person with no name, no identity, and no real "residency," Haruka was turned away everywhere she went. From restaurants to convenience stores, despite their help wanted signs, they seemed entirely uninterested in hiring a nameless nobody.

Her last resort was ended up being a construction site, where gruff men gave her derisive glances – suspicion evident in the gleam of their eyes. (A woman doing hard labor?) Little did they know, she was just as apprehensive. In the end it was also a wasted effort as she was turned away.

Along the way back to the subway where she had slept before – because it was the only place she knew – Haruka spotted another restaurant. It was a dilapidated building that smelled of greasy chicken, but she stepped in. The owners looked like westerners – blonde hair and blue eyes. She was momentarily bedazzled by him.

"Are you a tourist?" He asked in broken Japanese, fragmented by his heavy American accent. When she didn't respond, he used the same question in English.

Although she had studied English and knew basic the basic conversational skills from what she had learned in school, she didn't feel comfortable speaking it. "No," she told the man in Japanese. Then, quickly, she corrected herself, "Actually, it is something like that..."

Skeptical, he quirked a brow at her. Obviously he knew as well as she did that, being fluent in Japanese, she could hardly be considered a tourist. "From another part of Japan?" he asked.

Trying to sort out in her head how to frame the lie properly, she eventually said, "Yes and no. My family – they're from France." It wasn't a complete lie, albeit an exaggerated truth. Her mother had been born and raised in France, although Haruka herself had never been there before.

"I see," the man answered, "Are you going to sit down and eat, then?"

Fiddling with her thumbs, Haruka averted her gaze to the floor. "A-Actually... There was a sign in front about you hiring..."

"Not tourists." That gaunt face frowned at her. "We need a long-term employee. Well, longer term than a tourist would be able to do. If you are looking for a job, you'll have to go elsewhere. If you want to eat, take a seat."

Before he could turn away, she blurted out, "Please give me a job. I'm stuck here for a long time. You don't even have to pay me minimum wage... I just need some money." Feeling embarrassed by her own request, she bowed her entirely upperbody toward the man, eyes clenched shut. In her mind she was begging, pleading, praying that he would say yes.

Obviously there was something inherently suspicious about her story. He seemed to realize that, too. Those eyes of his, the same color as hers, narrowed. "You are really from France?" he asked all of a sudden.

"Yes." She hated to facilitate a lie, but it was scarier to be on the streets and penniless than to be a liar.

"You can wash dishes in the back," the man said finally, motioning to an open threshold that lead to the rear of the building. "I won't pay you much, but if you're that desperate for money, the offer is there."

In the moment that she said that, the only words that came to mind where, _I'm saved._ Without a moment's hesitation, Haruka bowed several times while spouting out, "Thank you, thank you," repeatedly. Then she hurried to the back – glad that, despite difficulties, she had managed to find somewhere she could work.

—

The rest of Saturday had passed quickly and when the restaurant closed up, she retreated to the subway where she found another nook to rest in. (Where, this time, no one fell on her.) In the early morning she was up and set off, straight back to "work." Before long, Sunday was over. Monday rapidly approached and the work hours flew by. At least until early afternoon, when she paused in her duties to come out front and speak with the man – George, was apparently his name.

"George-san," she muttered quickly, waving her hand to beckon him over from behind the counter.

Since lunch hour had just passed and no one had come in for a bit, he willingly came at her call. "Is there a problem?" In the last day she had managed to get to know him well enough to realize that his rough way of speaking was not a matter of disliking other people, but simply a part of his personality. George was naturally gruff.

"I... I know I shouldn't ask, but... There is a friend I owe a big favor to, so... Just for today, if I could..."

"Get your pay now and get off of work early?" He guessed easily, looking displeased.

Acting like a child that had been reprimanded, she lowered her head. "It's no good," she mumbled in defeat. "Sorry, I know it was impolite to ask."

The man huffed at her, stomping away. There was a faint chiming in the background as he opened the cash register, then, just as Haruka started to look up, she found a hand in her face – George was offering her several bills.

It was a disappointing amount of money, but she knew that he was not going to pay her minimum wage – she had already agreed to it. So she bit back any complaints that went through her mind and smiled. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"Stop being so meek, Frenchie. Go see your friend but be back tomorrow for opening."

Ever since he had discovered her French origins, Georg had referred to her as Frenchie – on account of her not divulging her own name. (Although, Haruka supposed, she could have come up with an alias.) But the name "Frenchie" had already caught on with her co-workers, so it was too late.

She accepted the bills and hastily stuffed them into her oversized pant pockets. "I will be sure to do that. Thank you again!" Taking that as her cue to leave, Haruka hurriedly scrambled out the door.

Somehow her luck had unseemingly turned up in just a few days time, thanks to Nishi (despite the cruel words he had given her). But Haruka was beginning to think that, despite his rough exterior, Nishi was not such a bad person after all. Maybe that (talking about survival of the fittest) was his way of telling to pull it together. Then again, more likely than not, it was his true belief.

But, although she had left those rice balls for him, Haruka felt she was more indebted than that. It was always a policy in her family to never owe someone else favors. So, for the sake of her regained pride, she wanted to do something to "pay him back."

So the first stop along the way to his apartment was a convenience store. Considering all he had was a microwave and rice steamer, there was not much she could make (and not much she could buy with the meager amount that her boss had given her) but it was enough to purchase a small bag of rice and some pickled plums with change left over.

She nearly flew down the street after that, sack rustling noisily in her hand. Nishi's apartment took a good half hour to reach, but when she got there, Haruka excitedly clambered up the steps. Thanks to her job, she was in high spirits. Habitually, she found herself reaching out for the door without thinking – because, when she went home, there was never such a thing as knocking. But she clocked herself. "He always locks the door." Curiosity running full throttle, she tried the knob anyways, and it opened.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> So is Nishi a douchebag or is he nice? Kind of hard to figure out... Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed - special thanks to Xephy. He is the reason why these chapters come out faster than they probably would otherwise. If there is any Engrish left in this chapter, though, blame him. (See it's your fault when it goes bad, Xephy!) Hehe, joking~

Forgetful Dreamer - It's okay if you don't review often, I'm just glad you like it! Thanks for reading. :)


	5. Crushing

**Chapter Five ; Crushing**

As soon as the bell rang, some of the students popped out of their seats, making a mad dash for the door. Others lingered behind. He was always deliberately slow in gathering his things. Not because he wanted to linger behind and eavesdrop, but to "kill time." Just as other people had reasons to race to their homes, Nishi had reasons not to. And as he tucked away his books into his bag, he coincidentally overheard the conversation of a nearby group of girls.

"Do you believe it for a minute?" At first he was not sure what it was they were referring to, and considering he did not particularly care, Nishi did not venture a guess. At least not until something in their conversation caught his interest. "I mean, Koizumi is perfectly fine one day and just gone the next? You have to be kidding."

"Right, saying that they don't want to disclose the specifics right now... It can't be a terminal illness, right? And I heard Miho said that, just a couple of nights ago, Koizumi was at her house. So, like, she ran away from home or something?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see one of the girls nodding her head readily in agreement. "Exactly. Do you think she was dating an older man or something? Like, star-crossed lovers? They couldn't be together so she left?"

"But I heard Miho say that Koizumi was looking for Nishi."

"The creep?" the other asked in a gasp.

He could feel their stares wander over toward him, but he kept his back turned as zipped up his book bag. No more reason to loiter; he did not care one way or the other as to how their conversation went. Nor did he care to be dragged into answering questions.

But it was too late for that. "Oi, Nishi! So did you meet up with Koizumi?"

Just as he started down the aisle, the question caught him and gave him pause. Looking back at them with his dark, narrowed eyes, he said a simple, "No. I have nothing to do with her." His face did not belie the lie he had told. By all rights, it seemed the truth. The girls, thinking he had nothing to gain by lying, easily believed him. Whether he withheld being honest to simply keep from the trouble of explaining, or he hoped to dispel possible rumors about Haruka was not clear.

A moment later and he twisted back around to leave. And as he stalked to the door, he heard them, jumping to wild conclusions now. "Well, if she didn't meet Nishi, maybe she ended up on a street corner. I bet you a guy picked her up."

"That makes sense! You know, I think I might have seen her, too."

"So you guys think that the whole reason they won't divulge the information is because she became some kind of prostitute and got beaten up?" An eavesdropping girl surmised with surprise.

"I wasn't going to say it like that," one of the original girls chucked, "But yeah. Sure sounds like it."

Nishi trudged out the door without stopping to argue the point with them. He turned down the hallway where his footsteps filled the empty corridor. At the stairwell, he carefully clambered down without bothering to steady himself by grabbing the railing. His face was pensive; he looked preoccupied.

Once he arrived at the bottom of the staircase, he went down a long hallway until he at last made it to the rows of shelves containing shoes. Most were felled with indoor shoes, as most students had already left. As he was passing through to locate his, he noticed one that had been vandalize; stuffed with garbage, graffiti written around the sides of it that said "Slut" and "Whore." Although it seemed likely it was Haruka's, he did not pause to contemplate. It had nothing to do with him. So he strode up to his locker and started to replace his shoes.

At almost that exact moment he heard approaching footsteps from behind him that stopped just short of where he was standing. Casually, Nishi glanced over his shoulder to see who it was. A girl he did not recognize – normal, considering he did not seem to recognize most of his classmates.

"About Haruka," the girl started in a quiet voice, "I heard what you told those girls. I didn't think too much of her coming by my house, but I thought it was really weird that she was going to see you out of nowhere. Is something going on?"

"I don't know," he told her coldly as he gentle set his indoor shoes back into the cubbyhole.

"Then you didn't meet up with her?"

Annoyed by the incessant question, Nishi granted the girl a glare. There were probably a few choice words lingering in the back of his throat that went unspoken. "I don't even know who you're talking about. Go away." After scrutinizing her, he turned on his heel to head for the front doors.

"You jerk!" she called after him. "How can you act like that? Even though we are from different classes this year, we weren't last year. Haruka was always watching you, you know. Can't you even show a little concern?"

"Watching?" He echoed, sounded indignant as he stopped abruptly, almost mid-step.

Before he could turn around and say more, she elaborated. "Yeah, she liked you. A creep like you!"

"The fuck if I care." Those words came out contrary to the calm demeanor he usually upheld. His brows furrowed down against his eyes. "What a hypocrite. Lecture me about caring all you want, but you're really glad that she's not here. No one to steal the spotlight from you, right? That's how you feel."

The girl hesitated, looking like a deer caught in the headlights as she listened to him.

"Don't worry, it's normal. You just don't really care about what happened to her. But it makes you look better if you say you do, right? While at the same time you help spread those rumors about her promiscuity." He was taunting her, a smirk slowly working its way up onto his face. "People like you make me sick."

"That's not true!" she responded, blustering at his accusal.

To any onlookers, it probably looked like he was bullying her. The girl had tears in the ducts of her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. It only seemed to disgust Nishi who turned around to leave. But before he could get far, he felt something hard slam into the back of his head. Although stunned by the impact, he quickly spun around to see what it was that had hit him.

Lying on the ground was the girl's shoe. She hastily approached to retrieve it, but not before swiping her hand across his face. The sound of her palm colliding against his cheek was a reverberating **SMACK** that echoed through the sparsely populated entryway.

The sting against his cheek did not seem to faze him. Although it smarted, he gently rose his hand up, pressing his fingertips against his reddened flesh. Nishi actually seemed mildly amused that she had bothered to lay her hands on him.

"Creep," the girl hissed at him as she reached for her shoe. "I hope you die."

He let out a snort of laughter at that, mumbling, "Hypocrite," as he turned on his heel once more to leave. Once he was out the clear glass doors, Nishi stuffed hands into his pocket. The expression on his face had melted away as he glared sullenly at the ground, shoes shuffling against the cement walkway as he approached the open gates leading out of the courtyard.

Rather than heading straight home once he was out, Nishi started wandering the streets. His mind seemed to be empty as he wandered aimlessly. For whatever reason, he intentionally took the longest detour possible to his apartment.

—

For whatever reason, the apartment was just as empty as it had been when she had been allowed to wander in on Saturday. Haruka felt a little suspicious about why Nishi had left it unlocked again, but she did not spend much time wondering. Instead she hummed a happy little melody to herself as she made a beeline for the cabinet where she knew the steamer was. Straight to work, making the rice balls as she had intended.

And, as she waited for what seemed like forever for the rice to finish, she reminded herself to try to find a library. There, perhaps, she could find some cooking books and learn of some other things to make for Nishi that wouldn't be as bland. Then one thought led to another and she started to wonder what kind of food Nishi liked, anyways, because she could never remember seeing him with a bento. Did he go to the cafeteria? Her mind was fuzzy.

It was strange, though, because as she kept her eye on the clock, she noticed it was well past the time when school was supposed to let out. Slowly she had started to worry – wondering if there was some reason why Nishi had not come home yet. The hands slowly ticked away as the minutes passed.

Once the rice was done, Haruka was quick to meticulously form them into rice balls – wrapping the grains of rice around the pickled plum filling. Then came the seaweed. In her boredom, she decided to design one specifically to look like Nishi. She was giggling the whole while, putting the beady eyes on it – a frown, and tousled hair. When she was finished, she debated whether or not to eat it herself or give it to him.

Eventually settling on eating it, because she thought Nishi would probably be unamused by it, she took a bite. At that same moment, she heard the front door crack open, followed immediately by footsteps. Feeling a little anxious – since she had intruded, after all – she approached the door with some amount of hesitancy. Peeking around the corner, she quickly greeted him with an enthusiastic, "Welcome home!"

Only... It was not Nishi she was greeting. Startled to find her eyes staring at those of a stranger's, Haruka swallowed hard. "E-excuse me?" she asked, stuttering out the question. "Who are you?"

Seeming just as caught off-guard as she was, the man slowly took his shoes off while regarding her warily. His voice, which was both deep and intimidating, sounded, "What are you doing in my apartment?" Then, a look of realization came on his face, quickly followed by suspicion. "Did Nishi let you in here?"

That question was difficult to answer because it was not necessarily no but not really yes either... And Haruka was worried about getting herself in trouble, but she also didn't want to trouble Nishi. So she hesitated. "Well—I—um... That is.."

"Nishi!" He bellowed, brushing past her. His broad body nearly slammed into her. Haruka barely sidestepped out of his way in time. The tall, muscular man traipsed through the house, peering in the main room before disappearing into the bathroom. Eventually he realized that Haruka was the only one in the apartment, and when he emerged his entire face had turned red.

Haruka was perceptive enough to understand that her presence was unwelcome. So she gave a jerky bow and a stuttering apology, "S-sorry to intrude. I d-didn't know... I should really be going."

"Has he been letting you stay here?" The man asked incredulously.

Shocked by the question, it took Haruka a moment to shake her head. "N-No, of course-"

"Hussy," the man bellowed at her in an accusatory tone. Then he spotted the made up rice balls on the counter. Without a split second of hesitancy, he reached for them. One by one, he pelted Haruka with them. Upon impact, they seemed to almost shatter – the warm rice burned again her skin and the grains scattered across the floor as one by one they fell to the ground. "Get out of here!" He hollered at her, beginning to advance.

Startled by the severe tone of his voice, she scrambled to leave. But he got close enough for her to get a whiff of his breath – it reeked of alcohol. To some degree, she understood his behavior from that, but still she wasn't sure who he was. Nishi's father? As far as she knew – or had thought, at least – was that Nishi's father had abandoned him. Was that untrue?

Either way, she did not have time to ask. Haruka grabbed her shoes and stumbled out the entrance. The door slammed noisily behind her, the moment she exited. Haruka barely had a moment to gather her wits about her and process what was happening. Almost robotically, she turned to face the door to the apartment she had so unceremoniously been booted from.

The dark-haired girl paused to slip her shoes on and then looked at her arm, where the skin had reddened from the burn of the rice. A few grains had stuck themselves to her skin and she hastily brushed them off. A lump had formed in the back of her throat and the sting of tears surfaced in her eyes but she swallowed them back.

It was her fault, after all, she told herself. If she had just waited outside, it would not have caused such a severe misunderstanding. And now she was concerned about whether or not the man, inebriated as he was, would blame Nishi for what was her mistake. Knocking on the door and trying to explain the situation, however, did not seem like the best idea. Frankly, Haruka was averse to confrontation anyway.

Like an injured animal, she retreated with her tail tucked between her legs, slowly descending the metal staircase. It rocked and swayed beneath her weight as she sniffled, trying to hold in the tears – tears of frustration, pity, and hurt.

Wiping away the droplets that managed to wriggle out and slide down her cheek, she peered around to see if she could spot Nishi coming down the street. He was nowhere to be seen. Her heart seemed to fall into the pit of her stomach. When she had most hoped for some kind of convenient timing to allow them to meet, for her to apologize and explain herself, fate looked upon her unfavorably. She had no choice but to return to the restaurant for the rest of her work hour. So, with her shoulders slumped, that is exactly what she did.

And just as she was walking away, looking dejected, another figure appeared from an alleyway – Nishi, who had at last come home. He seemed to be frowning to himself as he gazed up the stairs. Seeming to hold some reservations about going up to his apartment, he at last mounted the first step. At that same moment, from a good distance away, Haruka finally peeked back to see if the street was still deserted. Unable to hear the sound of Nishi climbing the stairs, she assumed he still had yet to return. Both had unknowingly missed each other.

In the week that followed, Haruka kept herself preoccupied with work. Sleeping in the subway at night, she preoccupied her day working at the restaurant. Her hands quickly became calloused and chapped, dried out from the excess of soap she had exposed them to in the sink. A few times she had debated returning to Nishi's apartment to try and see him, but she feared the wrath of the drunken man that lived there with Nishi. Plus, she reminded herself, he probably did not want to see her anyways.

So she worked diligently, earning the little bit of money that she could. The weekend brought a surplus of customers that had George feeling generous, and so on Saturday he was kind enough to give her a little extra money.

Haruka stuffed it in her pockets, smiling wistfully to herself as she stepped out onto the street. She was beginning to smell again, but now that she had some money, she decided to head straight for the bath house. First she would clean up, then see if she could find some kind of thrift store to purchase some clothes from.

In all of the chaos that had ensued from finding her "real self" still alive, she had been scrambling just to hold onto the jaw of life, so she hadn't had the time to wallow in self-pity over her poor predicament. Rather, even though she was not happy with the situation, she had learned to adjust herself. She was even becoming accustomed to the stench of the subway.

"Ah," she groaned as she rubbed her neck. It was all knotted up. Her whole body felt stiff and worn out. But as she turned the corner and spotted the bath house in the distance, lights still gleaming through the darkness of night, she felt some measure of relief. Once inside, she hastily paid the woman at the front who seemed to wrinkle her nose at Haruka's presence. (Probably from the smell?)

It felt good to shed the clothes she had been wearing for the past week and dunk herself in the warm water. The free soap that the woman had provided was not the extravagance Haruka was used to, but she could not register any complaints. It smelled of sandalwood, a soothing aroma that teased at her nosed as she scrubbed the dirt from her body. At first she'd had some reservations about bathing in public, but considering all she had been through in a little over a week, she could hardly hold up her inhibitions.

And then, the strangest feeling overcame her as she was bathing herself. A tingling sensation that started from the top of her head. It took a moment to register, but Haruka came to a startling realization – it was that familiar feeling... And a name popped in her mind. _Gantz._

Popping out of the bath tub right as her eyes started to disappear from sight, she scrambled to reach for the towel that had been sitting nearby. By the name she managed to grab it, most of her upper body had formed in the apartment room. She barely had the time to drape it across the front of her body precariously.

"What in the hell...?" A gangster looking man remarked.

Once she had fully materialized in the apartment room, she looked around blearily. Her mind was spinning. It was embarrassing enough to be naked in front of a whole bunch of women, let alone strangers.

That person from before – Izumi, as his name was, that had saved her – he had his arms crossed over his chest, eyes averted. He did not seem particularly interested in her almost-naked body. In fact, he seemed rather bored.

At that same moment someone else had begun to materialize beside Haruka, but the aforementioned gangster did not seem to particularly care. He was staring with lascivious eyes at Haruka, who shrunk under his gaze.

Cheeks flushed red, Haruka tried to keep her eyes to the ground while securely the towel around herself. She tried to distract her mind from wandering, but she started thinking – what was she supposed to do when the "game" started? How was she supposed to "hunt aliens" without any clothes on?" Her body was trembling and she was not sure if it was from the cold or from fear.

"Hey, you..." The gangster said in a low voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hand outstretching toward her. Before she had the opportunity to slip away, she felt his greasy fingers wrap around her forearm.

Haruka struggled, panicking. "L-let go!" she stuttered frantically, trying to yank free from his grasp.

"Just c'mere," he cooed back at her. Against her will, she was being pulled closer and closer toward him. As much as she struggled, the man looked to be in about his thirties. It was impossible for her strength to come even close to matching his. A scenario rolled through her mind – of being raped – and she felt a tremor through her entire body.

Then, suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blur of gray. "Get your hands off." It was the sound of Nishi's voice, speaking coolly despite the situation. When she peered hesitantly over toward him, she was relieved to see his calm face. In his hand, sitting just a foot away from the gangster's temple, was one of those guns that he always carried with him.

Seeming to be unfazed by the younger boy's threat, the man cackled. "Seriously, kid? You're going to threaten me with that fake looking gun? Just stay out of it and I won't have to kill you after I take this girl-"

Without warning, Nishi suddenly lowered the barrel down toward the man's arm and pulled the trigger. There was a strange glow of light that flashed suddenly, reflecting in Haruka's blue eyes as she watched in horror. A noise followed after Nishi fired and yet nothing happened.

Unamused, the man chortled. "Seriously, now I am going to have to-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, his arm swelled up until it exploded. It completely disconnected his hand from the rest of his body. Haruka screamed as blood splattered across her towel and face. She shook her arm vigorously to shake free the now-detached hand that still had a fairly firm grip on her. It fell to the ground with a thump and she took the opportunity to scramble back behind Nishi.

The man, stunned by the loss of his arm, was slow to realize. Suddenly he started hysterically screaming, and the others that had begun to gather in the room soon joined him with cries of surprise and fear. "My arm!" he wailed.

Haruka, terrified as the rest of them, found herself unconsciously gripping the back of the sweater that Nishi was wearing. She pressed her face into the back of his shoulder blades, her entire body still trembling. Contrary to her expectations, he did not seem to shake her off. Rather, he just stuffed the gun back in his pocket. Then he turned his gaze toward the black ball in the center of the room. "Hurry up and start, Gantz. This is boring."

"You little shit!" The man bellowed, grasping his still-bleeding stump. "I'm going to fucking kill you!"

"Please don't kill him," Haruka whispered to Nishi against his back.

"When Gantz opens, you should put on your outfit." Nishi was peering over his shoulder back at her. His face conveyed no trace of emotion. Neither annoyance at her clinging to him or pity for her situation. "Unless you want to die, that is." And honestly, she suspected he did not care one way or the other – as much as she would like to think otherwise.

Although, she reminded herself, he did just save her. Though Haruka was not sure if that was out of boredom or annoyance, because Nishi seemed to be a puzzle of contradictions. But she did not have the time to wonder at his motives, because she could hear the sound of singing in the background. Their "game" was about to begin.

Releasing the hold she'd had on Nishi's jacket, Haruka slowly peered around him to look at the screen. Their target had appeared, although the information Gantz had provided seemed to prove of little use. There was a picture of a jack-in-the-box and beside it read, "Surprise." And somehow, Haruka had a sinking feeling about what kind of "surprise" was awaiting them.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Struggling to try and keep Nishi in character. Why does he have to be such a douche? Why does he have to be so complicated? Why can't he be a main character that I see all the time and therefore have a better chance of understanding? Okay, that last part was just a poor excuse I used hoping for Nishi to get more screen time. Oh well, only in fanfiction, I guess. Had to rewrite the ending of this chapter a few times until I liked it. Hope you guys enjoyed and thank you SO much for the feedback! :D && thanks Xephy for helping me beta.


	6. Quiet

**Chapter Six ; Quiet**

Although he had instructed her on changing into the suit, Nishi had never specified how – more technically, _where._ The room was crowded with people and going to the hallway meant passing by that gangster. It honestly seemed like she was trapped with little choice. So, holding the case to her chest (and the towel, too), Haruka sneaked back to Nishi, hiding behind him.

"Th-there's nowhere to change..."

He glanced over his shoulder at her without saying a word.

"Should I...?" She was unsure of how to ask, her cheeks red as the lights on Christmas tree.

Although he did not answer, he kept his back facing her, arms resting at his side. Nishi made no indication and didn't bother to try and direct her somewhere else. It seemed to Haruka like she had no choice, and so she hurriedly set the case down on the ground and pulled out the suit within. It was strange looking, but she had noticed Nishi wearing the same thing beneath his clothes. Izumi was also wearing one.

So without pausing to consider the lack of fashion, she dropped her towel and started pulling it up over her legs. In the several minutes it took to get dressed, she hoped that no one had really seen her, but it seemed like they were all preoccupied. Nishi never once glanced back, for which she was grateful.

When she was finished, Haruka felt a little rueful about the fact that she had _no_ chest, because the suit seemed content to accentuate that. Frustrated that Gantz's assertion about her being having "board breasts" being true, she crossed her arms over her chest to hide the fact while she stood up.

No one else seemed to have picked up the importance of the suits. They seemed awestruck at the weapons. All except the gangster, who was still breeding profusely, having collapsed onto the floor. His own fluids pooled around him and Haruka was beginning to wonder if he would make it. The others in the room kept their distance from him, perhaps afraid that Nishi would strike out if they tried to help. But they were bold enough to reach for the weapons that Gantz had provided.

"Nishi-kun," Haruka addressed in a hushed whisper as she observed the others.

He didn't respond.

"I don't mean to bother you, but... W-why...? Why aren't you telling them?"

He seemed to grunt in response. "It's easier if they distract the alien long enough for either Izumi or me to kill it. If they're smart enough, they'll survive. If they aren't, they'll die."

It was hard to swallow that logic. A logic that had not entirely kept her alive. It had been out of pure luck that she had managed. And Haruka hated to see other people put in the same position, completely disadvantaged. But she was not sure what to do. It seemed like it would be impossible to explain. How would she word it? The truth seemed more like fiction.

Nonetheless, Haruka resolved herself. Building up the courage, she slowly, steadily took a step out from Nishi and opened her mouth to address the others presence. But then a hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. Startled, Haruka whipped around to see that it was Nishi, who retracted his arm after getting her attention.

"Don't bother trying to tell them. Even if they believed you, these people are like garbage. It makes no difference if they die." He was just reiterating what he had said before, imposing his own beliefs upon her.

"But... I don't want to see anyone else-"

Nishi suddenly pointed a finger toward the man bleeding on the floor just a few feet away. His face had gone pale and his eyes looked unfocused. It seemed unlikely that he would make it much longer, and yet no one had hurried to his side to help him. "Do you want to save him?" The tone of Nishi's voice sounded almost bitter, resentful. "People like that are a plague on society. Don't kid yourself. You wouldn't help him if you could."

An emptiness overcame Haruka as she stared at the man. In essence, he was dying because of her. It had not even occurred to her to lift a finger. She had felt such relief when Nishi stepped in, even at the expense of the man. The fact that she had been able to get away – she focused on that the whole time. The whole time she had been preoccupied with anxiety at being naked in front of so many people while the man bled to death.

She was a hypocrite.

Gritting her teeth, Haruka clenched her fists at her side. "I didn't notice," she admitted guiltily. Then at last she reached around Nishi and retrieved the towel she had discarded upon the ground. Using it, she approached the gangster, who glanced up at her warily. "Don't worry," Haruka assured him, "I'm just going to try to help you stop the bleeding."

"Why do you even bother?"

The sudden outburst took her by surprise. Haruka peeked over her shoulder to see Nishi glaring at her. He was livid.

"He's going to die anyways. Why waste your time? This is why you won't survive through the mission. You and everyone else here," he slung his arm around to motion at this others, "You're all going to **die**!" Nishi smiled maniacally at them, looking as though he was about to burst into laughter even as he started disappearing – Gantz was beginning to transfer everyone.

Knowing that she did not have a moment to spare, Haruka made a quick dash for the weapon stand, snatching up one of the guns that looked like a rifle. Not but seconds later, she found herself materializing on a street corner. A nearby lamp flickered, and it took a moment for her eyes to start adjusting to the darkness. When she took a look around, Haruka was surprised to see that – somehow – she had been transported by herself.

It was terrifying to be alone. She remember the last mission when she had been with Hiroshi and Keiko. Haruka had been comfortable being a follower. How easy it was to just go along with the directions of others, to let them lead and "toot their horns." Rather than telling others what to do, she wanted someone to tell _her_ what to do. But she was not fortunate enough to have that.

_Right,_ she told herself, _if I'm going to make it out of this alive, then I have to fight._

Her hands, though slick from all of the perspiration, gripped the gun tighter as she started walking. Even though she had no idea where to go, Haruka was not content to waiting around and hoping for someone else to deal with the problem. She knew that, just like last time, Nishi and Izumi would wait for convenient timing before stepping in. If there was any hope of saving anyone else, she would have to find them and protect them.

The streets were eerily quiet – not even the lullaby of a cricket to be heard. All the lights in the houses had been turned off. It seemed like the block she was wandering around in had already fallen asleep. But it just made her pulse quicken.

After several minutes of scouring the area, Haruka was surprised to find it – exactly what they were supposed to be looking for. The box, just as pictured, was sitting on top of a pile of black garbage bags. It would not have caught her eye, except for the fact that the metal level on the side was rotating by itself. Nothing had popped out yet, but she approached with great trepidation, gun raised at the ready in case she need to fire. (Not that Haruka had any confidence in her aim.)

When she was finally in range to reach out and touch it, Haruka stopped to consider. Instead of trying to open it, wouldn't it be better to shoot and ask questions later? She was not sure. Considering the last mission she had been a part of just had a big hulking shadow beast, this was completely different. It seemed too easy. And she recalled Gantz saying something about a surprise.

Before she could decide between the two actions, the box seemed to decide for her. It popped open and out. The thing within looked like nothing more than a clown. In every way it resembled a kid's toy. And nothing bad happened. Haruka started to relax, and at that same moment she spotted something glinting in the moonlight. Just in time, she managed to dodge as a blade came flying out from within the mouth of the clown-faced toy. It narrowly missed her throat but sliced through a lock of her hair. Haruka stumbled backwards, gun still poised to shoot. But she hesitated.

As though the toy had a mind of its own – and it surely did – it suddenly came flying at her. She stumbled out of the way, only for it to slam against the cement wall that had been standing behind her. It crumbled beneath the force of the collision.

It seemed like the alien had trapped itself beneath the rubble. At least that's what Haruka assumed as she approached. Warily, she peered beneath the blocks of broken concrete. "L-looks like it's gone," she said with a sigh of relief.

The moment she dropped her guard, a blade shot up through the ground and caught her square in the shoulder. Stunned from the force of the impact, she stared in horror at the knife that had cut straight through her suit, buried into her flesh. Blood started to spurt forth. Slowly, she could feel the blade beginning to retract itself. That thing would surely come at here again, and Haruka was sure the next blow would be lethal.

So she grabbed the blade with one hand. It sliced through her glove and pressed into her bony fingers. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Haruka aimed the barrel of her gun, unsteadily, at the area where the sword had come from. After pulling the trigger and seeing the eerie glow, followed by a strange sound, she released the blade. It retracted from her shoulder and she stumbled backward, raising her bloody hand back to the gun. She steadied it, preparing to dodge if she had to.

The area she had shot at suddenly exploded and rubble went flying. Haruka tried to turn her face away but a stray block hit her across the head, knocking her to the ground. Fortunately not enough to cause a concussion, she was able to lift herself back up, despite her trembling body.

"Please tell me it's dead," she whispered sullenly as she snatched up her gun and cautiously inspected the area. Whether it was pure luck or not, the jack-in-the-box had been hit – shattered into pieces with only the lower portion of the box still remaining intact. It did not move and, convinced she had seen victory, Haruka rejoined. "Yes!"

And yet, as she celebrated in triumphant, she suddenly heard a distant scream. Though she was not sure, Haruka imagined it was probably one of the others from the Gantz room. Without a moment to hesitate, she lifted her gun and started dashing toward the source of the noise. But the pain in her shoulder slowed her down. It was deep and bleeding profusely. Although it was not enough to kill her, she knew if the mission didn't finish soon, she would be just become fodder for the aliens like Nishi had warned her. And as much as she did not want to die, even more than that she did not want to see Nishi proven right.

When at last she arrived at the spot where she still heard screaming, she was shocked to find two people from the apartment room – only, one of them was already dead. She remembered seeing both of them, clinging to each other out of fear. It seemed like they were a couple. The man was lying on the floor, sprawled out with his body cut diagonally. His eyes were still open, but they had long glazed over. It was obvious he was dead. The woman, on the other hand, was sitting next to him with her face in her hands. One of the X-guns was sitting next to her on its side. And just a short distance away from the two of them was one of the jack-in-the-boxes, shattered to pieces by the force of the gun.

Haruka stumbled upon the scene out of breath and unsure what to say. It occurred to her that, although she felt great sympathy for the woman, she no longer felt the urge to empty her stomach, even at the sight of human guts strewn and splattered across the asphalt. Somehow, after watching it repeatedly, she was already starting to become accustomed to it. For that she felt a sting of self-loathing.

"Are you alright?" It seemed like a silly question. Who could be alright if their lover had just died in front of them? But Haruka still had to inquire about the woman's physical well-being. She approached, feet dragging as she pressed her hand against the wound on her shoulder. It stung with pain and was enough to elicit a few tears in the ducts of her eyes.

"How can I be?" The woman bit back spitefully as she heaved into her hands. "Why did I have to survive? Why did it have to be him? I don't understand why we had to come here... It's too unfair. I just want to die too!"

While Haruka could not quite understand the feeling of losing someone that close, she did know what it was like to essentially have nothing – considering she had lost her very identity. And yet, despite that, she could still find reasons for wanting to live. Still, she could not find the courage to confront the woman in her grief.

So instead, she attempted to console her, gently setting her gun down on the ground before outstretching her hand. Tentatively, she patted the woman on the shoulder. "I... I am... I'm really sorry for your loss." It was a struggle to come up with the words. Haruka had never been any good at comforting others.

Suddenly in the distance she heard the sound of an explosion. It sounded as though it was not too far off. She could see smoke swirling from just a ways down the street, and while the commotion was obscured from her sight by a house, she was sure that it had to be some of others, brought here by Gantz, that were fighting.

It seemed strange to Haruka. Why had there already been two jack-in-the-boxes? Last time there had been only one foe to defeat and yet this time they were matched up against more than that. Not knowing how many they were up against, Haruka knew she had no choice but to continue moving – to continue fighting. To that end, she could not carelessly leave this woman behind.

"We should get moving," she told her. Even though it sounded capricious given the circumstances, Haruka was left with no option. If they did not get going, they would be caught alone. It was better to try to join up with more people. If they could locate the others, they would have better odds.

The woman slapped Haruka's hand away. "Don't touch me!" she bellowed. "Just leave me alone... Go away."

Even though Haruka's heart ached for the woman and her loss, she could not just sit by idly and watch the woman grieve until one of those boxes found and killed her. "Hurry," she urged pleadingly, "We have to go. I'm sure your lover would have wanted you to live." Although she could not be confident while saying that – because, honestly, Haruka did not know – but she assumed based on her own feelings, based on what she thought the woman needed to hear.

"You don't know what you are talking about," she seethed as she reached for her gun. Slowly, the woman stood on her trembling legs. Her limbs were like noodles and she seemed unsteady on her feet. But she managed to crane her neck as she pointed her weapon toward Haruka. It was another x-gun and Haruka stared wide-eyed back at her. "I don't care if you just die!" And her finger clenched around the trigger. There was a flash of light and a noise that, through the distant screaming, was nearly inaudible.

Haruka dropped onto the ground, her mouth hanging agape. She reached up a shaky hand to her chest, where the woman had been aiming. Any second and it would swell and explode, just like that man's arm had. Tears quickly came to the ducts of her eyes. _I don't want to die, I don't want to die._

And then she heard the sound of the trigger being pulled again. Haruka jerked her chin up just in time to see the woman aiming it at her own head. Letting out a strangled scream, the blue-eyed girl leaped to her feet and reached out to snatch the gun. Suddenly there was a crackling sound around her body, and while her chest did not swell as she had expected, the woman's head did. Right as Haruka's finger encircled around the weapon, wrenching it from the woman's grasp. There was an earsplitting sound as blood and gore splattered across Haruka's face and chest.

Relinquishing her hold on the x-gun, she stumbled back with a strangled cry. She tried vigorously to wipe away the blood on her face and suit. But, although she thought she had grown accustomed to all of this, when she saw a flap of skin sitting on her chest, the contents of her stomach came up.

The tears were pouring down her cheek just as the bile trickled down her chin. Haruka did not bother to notice it. Through the pain and the despair that overwhelmed her, she could barely register anything. Her knees uncurled beneath her, but she barely noticed her blurred surroundings as she reached for her gun that laid on the ground. It felt strangely comfortable in her grasp.

Like a robot, she walked stiffly as her mind tried to shuffle through and sort her emotions. All she could register was the fact that the mission was not over and that she still wanted to live. Badly enough to see more death, badly enough to be glad that it was the woman who had died and not her. Guilt overshadowed her for thinking that way.

Her shoes dragged against the concrete as she started down the street, where she had heard screams earlier. Vision as bleary as her thoughts, she lifted her gun to the ready. One of the aliens was surely just up ahead. And while she was in no condition to battle, what with her poor mental state and injury, the motivation of self-preservation kept her legs moving. Step-by-step until what flooded her sight was nothing less than three dead bodies, exploded across the concrete.

It puzzled her to see that two of them were missing arms and another missing a leg. They had bled to death. And, as though a cruel reminder of why – laughing at them – a closed jack-in-the-box was sitting just in front of them. Their eyes, glassy since the fire of life had flickered out, seemed to be staring up toward it in warning, even as their bodies were sprayed across the concrete like graffiti.

Her next actions did not register in her mind. They were automatic. Haruka took aim and fired the gun before she could question what she was doing. The ground exploded, sending various body parts flying in the wake of the destruction.

When the dust settled, she expected to find herself victorious. But the box had completely disappeared and no shards of a broken one were left behind. Her reaction time had diminished severely, and so when she saw a blur out of the corner of her eye, Haruka's rigid body had a hard time trying to turn fast enough to face it and decide a course of action. By the time she recognized that it was the jack-in-the-box, her legs had froze on her.

All of the oxygen flooded out of her lungs as she gasped. And suddenly there was the sound of eerie music that made her heart sink. The lever turned and as soon as the lid opened, Haruka could barely raise her arms in front of her face to shield herself fast enough. An explosion sounded deafeningly. Like a witch's wicked, twisted fingers, the fire caressed her face. She had lost her voice from screaming, but her legs finally failed her as she fell backward.

The pain was so overwhelming that she nearly passed out. Her left eye – the whole left side of her face – had been seared. While her right eye could hazily make out her surroundings, her left eye stopped responding, and all it provided her with was darkness. The suit had managed to protect her arms, but there was still a sizzling sound as she dropped her guns and pressed her hands over her face. A gurgled scream escaped from her throat.

Her nose could barely perceive the smell of burning flesh and hair. It made her gag as she struggled to sit upright. The desire to live still lingered, despite her condition. The probability of living through this mission had reached rock bottom.

But the box suddenly appeared in front of her, hovering. In a split second she watched as the eerie music began to play again, though it sounded much more faint this time. Had something happened to her hearing? Haruka disregarded it, retracting one shaky hand. The muscles around her right arm bulged hideously as she swung her fist forward. It collided with the box, which splintered at the strength of the blow.

It was a hollow victory as she doubled over from the pain, groaning in pain and writhing helplessly on the ground. The more she focused on the pain, the less she could perceive of the outside world. It had grown strangely quiet, and her vision was so obscured that she could only make up the starless sky above as she rolled onto her back.

Her breathing had grown labored and she was forced to take gulping breaths that left the edge of her half-burned lip stinging. Her body was starting to gradually grow numb, starting from the fingertips and her toes. It seemed to have a ripple effect, gradually crawling up the length of her limbs until none of them would respond to her.

Haruka was in too much pain to recognize the familiar feeling of death creeping up on her. All of the despair and melancholy had left her, face mutilated by burns and bleeding still seeping through her open wounds. She had no time to compare this situation with the one where she had been shot.

Blood trickled out of her left ear. Apparently when she had turned her head, the noise had done enough damage to rupture her eardrum. Not that she had yet noticed it, but it explained why all of the outside sound had dulled down.

And just as she was about to close her eyes and assume this the end, she suddenly felt a tingling sensation at the top of her head. The pain ebbed away and she blinked away the darkness as both of her eyes began to register the inside of the apartment room.

"Survived again," Nishi tsked audibly from beside her. His arms were crossed over his chest as he averted his eyes, looking instead to Gantz. "But all of your little friends are dead. Killed like the cattle they were, and you couldn't do anything to stop it... Or did you really try? Hypocrite."

Her heart seized at his cruel words.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Slow getting it out, rushed a little on the latter half. Sorry if it was lacking. Personal problems may keep me from being able to update for a little while. Thanks for all of the positive feedback.


	7. Not Alone

**Chapter Seven ; Not Alone**

Silence settled across the room as Gantz read out the point values. Izumi had, once again, earned the most – having killed whatever enemy had been the true target of the mission. And, as Haruka noticed, his total score was just four points shy of one-hundred. Meanwhile, Nishi was climbing up at a frustratingly slow pace. (Frustrating because she could hear him cursing under his breath in anger as Gantz revealed his score.) And she came last, having earned only six points herself.

Silently, Haruka wondered what the point of the scoring system was. Just a novelty? Or was there a prize to be won? She furrowed her brows in contemplation, and although she thought to venture a question aloud, her lips pursed.

The screen on Gantz went black and one-by-one, the participants started to leave. Nishi lingered for only a moment, granting Haruka derisive glance. While he usually seemed completely uncaring toward her, he was now genuinely hostile. He made a point to bump shoulders with her as he started to pass.

"N-Nishi-kun," she called after him with a stutter, whipping around and outstretching her hand to stop him.

But, strangely, he had already stopped. Even though his back was facing her, it seemed like he was waiting. Waiting to hear what she had to say – perhaps expecting an apology or an explanation. She wasn't sure. Haruka could never, and probably would never, figure him out. Whatever was going through his head was always concealed by the deadpan look that belied any trace of emotion he felt.

It proved difficult to swallow. Hesitantly, she lowered her hand while her mind searched for the words to say. All thoughts were so jumbled together that they proved difficult to sort through. Even Haruka was not sure whether or not she should apologize. His words had been hurtful but they had not been entirely untrue. Instead of being able to help others, she proved to merely be a hindrance. She could not even protect herself, and while she was able to acknowledge her helplessness, it did nothing to improve the situation.

"Thank you." Two simple words that reiterated her gratitude from the start of the mission, although she was sure that was probably neither what he was expecting nor what he wanted to hear. "I'll become stronger." And as empty as those words probably sounded to Nishi, they were completely sincere. "Strong enough so I can protect myself and so that I can help other people."

He craned his neck to the side, peering over his shoulder. Those beady eyes regarded her with some measure of disgust. Nishi's lips twitched – he probably wanted to say something. Tell her that she was wasting her time, that it was pointless – but he did not speak a word.

There seemed to be nothing left to say. Haruka dropped her gaze to the floor. "That's all. That's all I had to say." Even though her heart ached and she wanted to try and explain herself, to justify helping people. But it did not seem as though Nishi would listen. He only seemed to be frustrated by her insistence upon putting her life on the line for others. It was not something she could make him understand and she knew it. So even though there seemed to be a void between them, Haruka could not begin to bridge the gap. She didn't know how.

"You came over before... and met him." She assumed by "him," Nishi meant his dad, although he did not explicitly say it. Haruka lifted her gaze tentatively to look back at him.

"Ah, yes... I'm sorry that I-"

"When you get one-hundred points," Nishi cut her off, eyes glaring into hers, "You can go back and forget about this place."

Although she was sure he said it less for her benefit and more as an indirect apology, she smiled faintly. "Is that all? I don't think I can go back. And before I make it to one-hundred points, I will probably die." It sounded weak but Haruka tried to be realistic, though the bitterness shined through in her voice.

"You can also get a powerful weapon or bring someone back from the dead." It seemed pointless for him to mention, though, considering they both knew that those options were about as useless as the first he mentioned. Gantz was a prison but a necessary one now. With a "double" in the real world, Haruka could not return to her normal life. Nor would she survive long enough to be able to bring someone back from the dead or make use of a powerful weapon.

Yet it spurred a sudden idea. "I... don't want those things." The way she spoke made her sound almost excited – the first time in days. Haruka's face lit up. "I don't want those things!"

Nishi seemed entirely unamused by her words as he stared back at her.

Haruka quickly composed herself, barely able to contain how elated she felt. "A new weapon would really help you, wouldn't it? You could earn points faster. Kill aliens quicker." When he quirked his brow, she continued. "It probably sounds like a long shot, but... What if I could earn one-hundred points for you? I have nowhere to go back to so leaving is pointless. I already died once – well, almost..."

"And in return?" he prompted.

"Help me find my murderer... and save the real Haruka. If I don't stop the person who did it, then she – I – will be killed again."

"Isn't that good? That leaves room for you to go back."

"No," Haruka argued back. "The same thing would happen to me if I did that. I would die too. By myself, I don't think I can do it. That's why I am asking for your help."

It seemed like a logical fallacy to Nishi. "If you can earn one-hundred points, you can find and snuff out your murderer. It is a pointless tradeoff." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and started for the door, but Haruka sprinted after him, grabbing him by the elbow.

"Wait. I know it probably doesn't make sense to you, a-and I know you probably hate teamwork... But I don't want to be alone." Her voice started to crack and Haruka silently admonished herself for crying too easily. "Even if you're only on my side because I'm paying you by putting my life on the line... I know it probably sounded stupid, but..."

Before she could finish her sentence, he suddenly whipped around, grabbing her wrist. He squeezed tight enough that the suit covering his arm bulged. Thanks to her own suit, Haruka could not feel the force – but that was not the point, anyways. Nishi stared her down unflinchingly. "That's a really stupid offer. Why would I want to accept that? There's no guarantee. I can help you, then if you get one-hundred points you could change your mind and decide to be free. Or you could die in the meantime, before you ever get one-hundred points. You said yourself that you will die before you score that high. Admit it, you are just a hypocritical leech."

Although his words were cold and staggering, Haruka got the feeling from the way his eyes probed hers, that he was fishing for something. He was goading her. "How should I prove it to you?" Her trembling voice matched the desperation on her face. "You could just kill me if I betray you. You're right, I can't guarantee, but..."

"An addendum to your deal. You score more points than anyone else next round, then I will believe you. But you understand the implications of that, don't you? That means you can't go babbling all the secrets about Gantz with that mouth of yours. You can't save every lowlife and scum that appears in this room because they were too stupid to survive in the real world. Instead you will have to watch them all die, ignore them while you rack up as many points possible."

Her heart sunk. That was not the kind of deal Haruka was hoping to make, and yet Nishi left room for her to negotiate. "I can do that," she agreed timidly, "But that doesn't mean I have to abandon everyone. I could still help them, still explain the rules of the game."

A frown tugged at the edges of his lips as he slowly released her wrist. "No," Nishi corrected, "You'll just do what you did this time. Earn minimal points and get in the way. On the other hand, maybe you won't be so lucky and instead you'll just die. Either way, why waste time? You saw how futile it was. Where did your efforts get you this time?"

His voice mirrored the sound of her own conscience, reprimanding her weaknesses and flaws. Haruka struggled to swallow those words, which stung the whole way down her throat. She hesitated to respond, unable to think of a single defense for herself.

"If you don't want to accept or if you fail, then stop bothering me." There was an audible rustle of clothing as he turned again to leave. His footsteps seemed to be in sync with the beating of her heart, fast-paced and resounding.

"Okay," Haruka choked out belatedly, just as he was about to turn the corner and disappear down the hallway to the main entrance. Even though she was still trying to process it, she didn't want to see him go without giving him an answer, thereby losing the opportunity. Even if she stood at a precipice where her only choice was to take the plunge, at least she could do it with her eyes open – knowing that it was not a futile sacrifice.

Nishi only gave the briefest of pauses, granting just enough time for a look over his shoulder back at her. Then he was on his way again. Haruka had to dash after him, following on his heels closely, in order to keep up.

"S-since I accepted your conditions..." And she knew the request she was about to make was entirely shameless. "Would you mind if I borrowed some of your clothes...?" The prompt glare she received had her averting her gaze with a frown. Although she was fairly sure she didn't need to explain, the clothes she had borrowed from last time were slightly... inaccessible, considering the bath house had closed by now.

"Fine."

That was all he said the entire way back to his apartment. Nishi did not even bother to flag down a taxi. He seemed to delight in maneuvering through the densely populated streets, dodging the crowds and brushing past hooligans. Haruka kept close to him, feeling the sting of fear despite the superhuman suit she was wearing.

Once they reached the steel steps, Haruka hesitated to follow after Nishi. The wind buffeted against her face as she mounted the first step tentatively. But soon noticing that he was a fair distance ahead, she hastily ascended. Her ebony-black hair billowed behind her, the cleanest it had been in a while. All the blood that had been on it, not thirty minutes ago, had completely disappeared.

As the two reached the door to Nishi's apartment and he slipped his hands into his pockets to retrieve his keys, Haruka fumbled for words. "U-uh... I should wait out here." Not that he was offering to invite her in. "I don't want to make your father angry again." And she bowed her head in embarrassment, having recalled the events that happened the last time she had been at Nishi's apartment.

He cast a questioning glance back at her. "My father?" Nishi echoed. "He won't be coming here anymore." The way he said it almost sounded menacing, as though... And Haruka hated herself for even thinking the possibility.

But she blurted it out anyways. "You don't mean...?" Her voice trailed off as she thought the unthinkable.

Nishi just kept his back turned toward her without answering. There was an audible click as the door unlocked and opened. He stepped inside, leaving the door ajar as he flicked the lights on. Haruka lingered behind, unsure if she was welcome or not. But when he noticed she had not followed, Nishi glared at her. "Are you just going to stand outside wearing that suit?"

"Ah, no..." She jerkily stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind her. Then she paused at the entrance, unsure about what to do with her shoes.

"Stop loitering."

But Nishi did not give her enough time to waste in fretting over it. Forgetting to take them off, she hurried inside, stumbling over her own clumsy feet. When she came into the main room, she spotted him rummaging through his drawers. It actually seemed as though – and Haruka could scarcely believe it – that Nishi was being conscientious about what clothes he was getting for her. Rather than grabbing whatever was on top, he was sorting through them for something suitable.

Once he found something, he stood abruptly and closed the drawers. Turning toward her, he thrust the clothes into her chest. "There. Go change." He was as commanding and direct as ever, though he had lost that hostile disposition that had unsettled Haruka so much earlier.

She felt relieved that things were "normal," granted the normal she experienced was far from the average person's definition. "Thank you," she mumbled to him as she took hold of the shirt and pants, heading directly toward the bathroom.

After she finished changing, Haruka wandered back out with her suit neatly folded up and cradled in her arms. As she peeked around the corner and back into the main room, she spotted Nishi sitting at his computer with his back slumped against the chair. His fingers were hovering over the keyboard, hand moving between it and the mouse.

Haruka quietly gave him a bow. "Thank you for lending me these." When she received no response, she figured she had overstayed her welcome. "I'll be going then." Although she hesitated for a moment, hoping to get some acknowledgment from him, it never came. So Haruka reluctantly turned and started for the door. Then, from behind her, she heard the creak of Nishi's chair turning, and she stopped mid-step.

"Sleeping in the subway?"

Although she was not sure how he guessed it so easily, she gave a nod to admit her hapless situation. "Yeah, I am." Though, frankly, she had almost grown accustomed to it. And just thinking that made Haruka feel a little nauseous – because who could get used to the stench of sweating bodies that had not bathed in days, weeks, months even?

While she was preoccupied covering her mouth and trying to settle her stomach, Nishi had stood up and walked over to his bed. He pulled off the duvet and dropped it on the floor, pointing his finger toward it. "Sleep here." It was more a command than an offer.

Even Haruka was so shocked that she dropped her clothes, which clattered to the ground around her bare feet. She quickly knelt down to retrieve them. "A-ah... But... Is that okay?" Any parent would warn their daughter against staying even one night in a boy's room, but somehow Haruka did not think such a warning would be warranted for this situation. Nishi would be the last person to waste so much as a second thinking about her like that. And considering the way he glared at her when she bothered to ask for clarification, Haruka figured it was a good idea to mumble a quiet, "Never mind... Thank you."

He settled back in his chair, gaze glued to the screen. The subtle glow highlighted every corner of his face and for a moment Haruka stared. But afraid he would grow annoyed at her if he caught her staring, she quickly re-folded her clothes and set them at the foot of the crookedly splayed out blanket. Then she crawled over the folded out duvet and crumpled one edge in the form of a crude pillow, reaching for the edge to wrap around her body.

To anyone else, it would probably have been uncomfortable. To Haruka, it was warm and comfortable, in comparison with that cold, dank, and smelly underground. Even the quiet, faint clicking of the keyboard was like a melody when she was so used to hear a chorus of sniffling, coughing, and shuffling. The exhaustion that had weighed upon her for so long settled her into sleep rather quickly.

In the morning, at practically the crack of down, Haruka roused wearily. Her eyes were still blurry with sleep as she peered around. The first place her gaze wandered to was the computer, where Nishi was no longer sitting. She spotted him instead, lying down on his bed, with an expression she did not recognize. It was peaceful, devoid of the usual scowl he seemed to always wear.

Haruka slowly crawled off the blanket, still warm from her body heat. Since Nishi had been left without one, she quietly draped it over him. He seemed to flinch as her hand brushed against his shoulder. Afraid that she might wake him up, Haruka retracted her hand prematurely. But when he settled down, eyes still firmly closed, she adjusted the edge of the comforter, pulling it up to his chin.

Heart aflutter – both from excitement and anticipation – Haruka scrambled into the kitchen. Careful to be as quiet as possible, she rummaged through Nishi's cupboards. Just as before, there was only ramen and rice. Considering how often she had found herself eating the later lately, she decided to fix the ramen. By the time the water had finished boiling and the noodles had enough time to soak it up, Nishi had been roused – either by the noise or the smell.

He wandered into the kitchen with a slight disgruntled look that would have left Haruka in a giggling fit, were she not afraid of being reprimanded by him. But she pursed her lips and swallowed back her mirth as she hand him his bowl and chopsticks.

"Breakfast," she mumbled with downcast eyes.

Without sparing a word of thanks, he took it from her and returned to the main room. While Haruka retrieved her own bowl and chopsticks, she heard the sound of the television turning on. Nishi seemed to flip through several channels before settling on the news by the time Haruka entered. They watched the weather – boring and yet a luxury to Haruka who had not seen television in weeks – in utter silence. (Aside from the occasional slurping noises.)

Then, as Nishi drank the last of the juice at the bottom of his bowl, Haruka ventured a question. "Do you have a jacket I could borrow? With a hood."

His scrutinizing eyes peered over at her, staring for a moment. "Yeah," he said at last.

After finishing the last of her noodles, Haruka explained. "I can't sit still, just waiting for the next mission to come. My other self – the real Haruka – could be out of the hospital any time. I need to see how much time we have... Then find out who it was that chased me down after school that day."

"I didn't ask for your reasons."

When he said that, Haruka felt her heart squeeze again. She was beginning to get the impression that, no matter what, there was nothing she could do or say that would be right. That, or maybe Nishi was unnecessarily critical. But she swallowed back the bitter taste of bile on her tongue and stood up. "Right, sorry... I just need to borrow the jacket."

While Haruka took the time to clean up the small mess she had made in creating their makeshift "breakfast," Nishi retrieved the hoodie as she had requested. Then, much to what was probably Nishi's chagrin, she borrowed his toothbrush. A hairbrush, on the other hand, seemed to be missing. Granted, with her hair as disheveled and tousled as it was, she was nearly unrecognizable.

So she donned the jacket that Nishi had provided her, black as the night, and pulled the hood up over her head. Although it shadowed her face well enough to keep her identity hidden, she looked a bit conspicuous with it on.

As she headed for the door, Nishi asked something that she had neglected to think about. "Going barefoot?"

And she was reminded of the fact that she had left her shoes at the bath house, too. Granted she could walk there, barefoot and all, to retrieve them. It seemed a roundabout way. Haruka was at a bit of a loss for what to do, standing at the entrance, hesitating. Nishi only had one pair of shoes, so it seemed pointless to ask to borrow them, too.

"I have no choice," she mumbled finally as she ran through the list of possibilities.

He seemed to breathe a sigh, perhaps annoyed at her lack of forethought. Nishi disappeared back into the main room and Haruka could hear the sound of him rummaging again. When he returned, he held two plaid flats. They appeared tattered and old, but she could not be picky and debate fashion when she was desperate for something just to protect her skin.

He set them down in front of her.

Compelled by curiosity, Haruka found the question popping out of her mouth before she had the chance to think it through. "Whose are these? Your mother's?" And she gulped after asking, because she could tell he seemed to have a complicated family situation.

"Yes," he answered without reservation, much to her surprise.

Rather than push for any more information about them, she quickly slipped them on her feet. The size was not a perfect fit, a bit large for her. She looked a bit like a waddling duck in motion, but Haruka gave him a grateful smile and half-bow. "Thank you, I will make sure to return them intact."

"I'll make sure of that."

His response came just as she was reaching for the door knob. Unsure of how to interpret what he was saying, she turned to look over her shoulder. Haruka gasped in surprise to see his face almost inches from hers. Nishi had already slipped his shoes on and was at her heels.

"W-what are..."

"It's better than going to school."

Haruka blinked slowly as she stared at him. "You're coming with me?"

Once again, asking the obvious seemed only to earn her a prompt glare as he reached over her hand and grasped the door knob, turning it. As it gave way and turned inward, Haruka was forced to take a few steps back, bumping into Nishi, who merely grunted when she stepped on his foot.

Although she was prepared to shower him with apologies, he just brushed past her and started out the door. Haruka did not have the time for saying sorry, too busy trying to hurry after him. "We should lock the door!" she told him as he headed for the stairs, but it seemed like usual, Nishi was going at his own pace. But Haruka was actually happy for his company.

When she finally caught up with him, she recited her plan – whether he wanted to hear it or not. "First the hospital to check on her condition. Then to my house. In my grandfather's office, he keeps records of company employees. I think if I check there, I can maybe get a start in narrowing down who the culprit might be."

"You think it is a worker," Nishi surmised with some measure of skepticism.

"All my family members, distant or closely related, work for my grandfather. He keeps a copy of photo identification on his computer. I remember the face of the man who tried to kill me, so I will recognize it if I see it."

"And what will you do when you find it? Put them in prison? You think that will stop them?"

Much to his surprise, Haruka shook her head. "No, the person behind this... I'll kill them."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This story has oddly ended up more fluffy (the kind of fluff that can only be seen in a horror story, that is) than I had intended. Oh well, at least the plot is rolling along. :) And as a perfect example of my awkward Engrish, which Xephy always points out in the most endearing of ways:

Xephy: "By the time the water had finished bowling"

Xephy: did it get a strike?

Strangely, I WAS thinking about bowling at the time. Must be why that came out. Should not have rewatched Ajusshi (The Man From Nowhere, Korean film) again yesterday.


	8. Addicted to the Madness

**Chapter Eight ; Addicted to the Madness**

Without even noticing, Haruka's personality had probably been warped to some degree by her involvement in the Gantz world. She had watched people die and killed just to survive. It occurred to her that those she murdered were not human, but it had not changed the fact that her conscience was stained with death. Taking a life, any life, was difficult to stomach for a person unaccustomed to something as simple as hard labor.

Naturally, deceiving other people had never been part of her nature. For Haruka, it was nearly impossible. She spoke the truth unconsciously, out of habit, out of necessity, and out of practice. It took work to lie. She was a bad liar.

But looking in the face of the hospital receptionist, she was able to let a lie roll off her tongue without flinching or pausing to think about the action itself. "I'm Haruka Koizumi's classmate, I came to visit her again. Would you mind telling me her room number?" As though the question was not convincing enough, she smiled at the woman with the very face of the person she was asking to see.

Haruka was probably not conscious of it. She probably had not noticed her own inward transformation. It was becoming second nature to her. Perhaps she remained oblivious out of choice, and that was why Nishi probably saw her as a hypocrite. Becoming a person without morals while reciting those morals like a bible she felt obligated to live by.

"Ah, Koizumi-san was released from the hospital just yesterday. She still has some time to recover before she can return to class, but I'm sure you will see her soon." The woman smiled obliviously after looking up the information on the computer in front of her.

That information is probably not something the Koizumi family would be keen on the hospital disclosing. But Haruka, having framed her statement in a way that led the woman to believe that she had been here to visit the _other_ Haruka before, was able to extract it without any underhanded means. Even Nishi was mildly impressed, indicated by the approving half-smirk on his thin, pale lips.

"Thank you," she told the receptionist politely, "I'm anxious to see her back in school and healthy." There was a smile on her face, at least until she turned her back to the woman and started toward the door with Nishi on her heels. Now Haruka was contemplating how this new complication might inhibit her plans to search for her murderer.

"No issues with deceiving others now, hm?" he prodded her with the question as they stepped out the sliding glass doors together.

It took a moment for her to realize exactly what he was referring to. As expected, Haruka had not even noticed herself. "About that...? Well, it's not that I don't feel guilty..." Although, even if she did not want to admit it to herself, there almost seemed to be a rush from tricking that woman. "But it's not like she will get in trouble because of it."

Nishi probably regarded her as naive and disillusioned for thinking that, but he did not seem inclined to correct her. His face soon returned to its expressionless mold as the two plodded along down the streets. Haruka remained pensive the whole way, as they seemed to meander without purpose. But there was a method to the madness of their path, because they eventually arrived at a wrought iron gate with brick fencing around the perimeter of a large property.

"Your house," Nishi assumed.

The sound of his voice tore her from her thoughts and Haruka looked up hesitantly at the large manor in front of them. To many, it would look extravagant and inviting. On the contrary, Haruka could feel her stomach knotting up with a foreboding feeling. It seemed as though her body was telling her to turn tail and run.

It went against every grain of logic she had to even come to this place again. Even when she inwardly knew that she was endangering her own life for the purpose of protecting someone else. (Although that other person was technically herself, in some warped, deranged sense.) Nishi obviously did not understand her aim, nor did he even begin to try and fathom what thoughts went on in that seemingly empty head of hers. For however much he tolerated her, it did not translate into feelings of camaraderie.

"Going through the front would be a little weird... Somehow, we should probably go through the back, right?" she looked to him for an answer, as though she even needed one. It was Haruka's house and her plan to begin with.

For that reason, Nishi did not allow her to depend on him. "We can go through the front." As though, merely for the sake of prompting her to have confidence in her own decision, he reached for the X-gun that he kept in his pocket.

Haruka hastily grabbed him by the elbow to stop him from pulling it out. "N-No," she stuttered at him, "We'll definitely go through the back."

His answer came in the form of a shrug.

It took some time to round the property to the very back. Along the way, Haruka formulated her plan. "Although... It's selfish to ask, but... Would you mind providing a distraction for me once we get in? That way I can get the information from the computer in the meantime."

Once again, Nishi reached toward his pocket for his gun. "I don't mind."

"M-maybe... I should provide the distraction," Haruka reconsidered out loud. It almost seemed as though, otherwise, Nishi would be obliterating the manor's staff. And while Haruka was not beyond breaking her own morals in order to complete her goal, that did not including leaving a wake of dead bodies on her path to revenge.

Once again, Nishi just shrugged. He obviously had no qualms about either job, although there seemed to be a glimmer of disappointment in those eyes of his. "Fine." He removed the gun from his pocket, finger looped around the trigger. In a quick motion, he spun it around, holding the barrel in his palm while the handle remained upright and extended toward Haruka. "Take this."

She was obviously hesitant in reaching for it. "I really don't think I'll need... I mean, it might be better..."

Unwilling to allow her to waver, Nishi jammed it against her chest, forcing her to take hold of it the moment he released it. "You have the conviction to kill for revenge, don't you? Don't suddenly lose your nerve after you've come this far." It almost sounded like he was supporting her, but Haruka knew better. It was a hidden jab at her for being a spineless jellyfish. The derisive comment was certainly not lost on her.

"Right," she agreed as she nervously took hold of it. Perspiration trickled down the length of her forehead and pale cheeks.

"You intend for us to scale the wall?" he assumed with raised eyebrows. Nishi regarded the eight foot brick with some measure of apprehension. Although he was ever the smug prick, even in Haruka's eyes, he did not seem to have the confidence in climbing such a height without some sort of foothold or ladder.

This time, Haruka could feel some measure of triumph as she shook her head. "Nope, we don't have to go over. We can go through it."

Whether he was skeptical of what she was saying or understood the implications of her vague explanation was not clear. Nishi just stared at her with a frown on his face. "Then why are we waiting around?" he asked her impatiently.

Despite his annoyance, Haruka smiled as she reached down and grabbed his wrist, yanking him along. "It should be just a little farther down this way. You can't see it from the street because there is a tree blocking it, but there is a hole in the wall just big enough for us to crawl through."

His brow twitched. Nishi was not keen on "crawling" through anything. Perhaps it was the concept of getting down on his hands and knees that did not seem to sit well with him. Regardless, when they approached the area that Haruka had indicated, Nishi was chagrined to find the hole a great deal smaller than she had alluded to. "A child could crawl through," he clarified, "Not a grown adult."

"Then it's a good think we're not adults...?" she said nervously as she looked back at him.

He shook her hand away from his wrist. "Use the gun and blow it open."

Haruka gulped and quickly shook her head in dismay. "We can't do that... It will be too noisy. People will notice and come to see what's going on."

"Didn't it occur to you that that's exactly what we need?" Nishi sighed to himself in exasperation, exhibiting far more patience than Haruka thought possible. "Hurry up and blow it open."

"But you don't know the way to his office..."

"It's on the bottom floor, isn't it?"

It took a moment for her to nod. "Y-yeah... It is. But... Anyways, how are you going to access the information since you don't know the password?"

"Do you?"

Every time he turned the questions around on her. Worse yet, he made Haruka realize how poorly she had planned this whole operation to begin with. For however much common sense and intelligence she had gained fending for herself on the streets and in the Gantz world, the part of her that was absentminded and clueless had remained the same. "I... don't actually... know it..." Although she was pretty sure she could guess it.

"Then maybe you should be a bit more concerned about distracting them without getting caught. Now hurry up and blow it open."

She still had some reservations about this endeavor, but Haruka could not refuse Nishi. Of his own free will – or, perhaps, boredom – he had decided to tag along and assist her. His part in her plan was imperative, because although she was still concerned with whether or not he could get the information they needed, if there was anyone she thought capable of getting it, it would be Nishi.

So she aimed the barrel of the gun at the opening in the wall and pulled the trigger. There was the typical delay, and in that moment, Nishi grabbed Haruka by the shoulder and yanked her back behind the tree, where the two were pressed close until the sound of an explosion filled their ears. Then Haruka saw the debri of crumbled stones blasting around them.

"W-wait," she called after Nishi as he darted around the corner and started for the newly opened hole. "How will we know when to meet up and leave?"

"Twenty minutes. Come find me in twenty minutes." With those words, he disappeared into the smoke that lingered from the blast. Haruka was left behind to deal with the sound of approaching footsteps and yelling as people were trying to figure out where the noise had come from and what the source was.

In the pit of her stomach she had a sinking feeling that this entire plan had a major flaw, and that was the fact that she had to be the one providing a distraction. Granted she was probably useless enough with computers that, had she really been the one to try and hack into the information, the plan would have been a pointless flop. Nishi probably knew the from the beginning.

As she heard the barking of dogs and spotted them, snarling and snapping, Haruka took off running. The sound of their noisy pursuit kept her speeding as fast as her clumsy legs could take her, but Haruka had to take into account the fact that it would not take long to catch her. So she rounded the corner of the house and spotted the servant's entrance.

Even with her hoodie on, she could not risk someone seeing her and recognizing her. There was only an interval of a few seconds where she could contrive a plan before those mongrels caught up with her. To think that she had once thought them harmless when her grandfather had got them as puppies. Apparently their training had been effective.

"No choice?" she asked herself, gritting her teeth. Haruka whipped out her gun and aimed it at the door. There was no time to hesitate; she pulled the trigger and took off running again. The sound of an explosion behind her seemed to draw away the attention temporarily, but she had to draw it back sooner or later. Since Nishi was inside, if they started suspecting someone had entered the house, then the "mission – as she chose to call it – would be compromised.

So she stopped as she came to the front of the house, hiding amongst the bushes as she noticed that a number of personal bodyguards had poured out of the building to assist in the search. They were, however, beginning to enter the manor in numbers, probably upon hearing the explosion. Nishi had probably sneaked in through the back, so drawing attention to the front would divert anyone from noticing him.

And since the best thing to attract goons was dangling something in front of them, Haruka decided to use herself. Jumping out of the bushes, she screamed at the top of her lungs – while trying to make herself sound as manly as possible, masking her voice from anyone recognizing it – "H-Hey! You there... You..." she fumbled for an insult. "Lug heads! Over here!"

Had her plan been any less juvenile and amateur it probably would have been more effective. Taking into account that no one had discovered Nishi and it was in the spur of the moment, however, even Haruka's ill-thought out distraction proved to be a success.

...To a degree.

When she saw the guns being pulled out and heard the sound of firing, Haruka ducked back into the bushes, crawling through them before retracing her tracks to the rear garden. This whole plan was beginning to seem more dangerous than she thought it would.

And considering she had never been one to quite so quickly think on her feet, there was an added disadvantage. She was beginning to think Nishi's true aim in all of this was to get her killed off so he would not have to worry about helping her to begin with.

In the midst of her running, arms flaying about as she tried to dodge the oncoming bullets – Haruka felt one graze across her arm. It tore through the layers of clothing and blood came sputtering out. She ducked into the rear garden, trying to hide amongst the roses, but she could hear the dogs again. They would sniff her out and there was already a blood trail.

Panicking, she glanced down at her wound. It was still bleeding profusely, the crimson liquid wriggling through the cracks of her fingers. Pulling down her sleeve, she studied the wound. It seemed superficial, but it throbbed and ached enough to leave her writhing in the pain.

She gritted her teeth through shallow, panting breaths. The sound of footsteps were closing in. Her options were few, the gun still held in the hand of her damaged arm. Either Haruka could pop out and start shooting randomly, seriously injuring and most likely killing those who could not dodge or react in time. But she would be promptly shot down, too. Or she could reveal her identity and fool them into helping her or leaving. Blowing her cover, however, would endanger the plan even more. They would easily discover that she was an imposter if the "real" Haruka was inside. None of it seemed like a good idea.

Haruka crawled back into the corner until her back was pressed against the wall. The thorns of the roses had cut across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Since it was not deep enough, the blood just bubbled to the surface before quickly coagulating over in a thick coat that kept it from trickling down.

Regardless, the droplets left behind in her haste to escape would lead them to her. She could hear them approaching. The sound of a cocking gun. A glimpse between the petals and leaves revealed the sight of a gray barrel staring her down, finger poised to the trigger. She anticipated the sharp _'bang'_ sound that would follow the feeling of a clip being emptied into her head or chest. It was not the first time.

A twig snapped as the person took another step forward and Haruka gulped as she heard the quiet click of the trigger being slowly pulled back. It was agonizing, as though time was purposefully passing slowly to give her hope – hope that she could, somehow, escape. And then, just as she felt like she was going to throw up from the anxiety, knots twisting so tightly in her stomach that she was liable to double over, something happened.

"Excuse me, what's going on out here?"

In that moment, Haruka could not breathe a sigh of relief, because she recognized the sound of her own voice – only, it was not coming from her mouth.

"Lady Haruka, we cornered an intruder and-"

"An intruder?" her voice echoed in disbelief. "Who is it?"

Hearing the name that was no longer her own, used to address the person that she was a mere copy of – it was psychologically draining. Haruka slapped her hands, one that was slick with blood, over her ears. She did not want to hear it. Even though all this sneaking, all this planning, and her own willingness to kill, it was all for that person. The person that she was not.

"We don't know, but they are armed and dangerous."

In the moment that Haruka had tuned out the real world, or at least attempted to, one of the dogs approached from the front. She heard the sound of rustling and jerked her hands away from her ears. There was a faint growling as she peered up to see, in the poorly illuminated darkness she had hidden herself in, that there were two eyes glowering at her. As sure as she was that, at any second, she would feel its teeth bite into her, it only sniffed at her at her wound. Then she could feel its warm tongue lap away at the blood, but she reeled her arm back in dismay.

"Shuu-chan is wagging his tail. If that person was really bad, I don't think Shuu-chan would accept them so easily."

Shuu-chan – it was the name that Haruka had given to that dog when she was younger. When she had first met the bright-eyed doberman puppy, whose only knowledge was love and affection. But specialized protection training had hardened him to outsiders, who he was trained to attack on sight in order to keep the family safe. Still, with people he knew, he was the most affectionate.

"E-excuse me," she heard Haruka – the real one – calling out to her. "Mister Intruder, will you show yourself? We won't hurt you. I just want to know who you are. Are you from my school? Are you... You're not Miho-chan, right?"

That was exactly the excuse that she needed, to put on the guise of Miho. Since Haruka's body and face was obscured by the hoodie, it would be impossible for them to know that she was anyone else. Her height was similar to Miho's. So she stood up through the bushes, her hood still pulled across her face to hide everything except her lips. She gave a nod.

Beneath the shadows cast upon her face by the clothing meant to conceal her, Haruka could make out the features of herself standing amongst a throng of bodyguards just a yard away. Had her own face not been cut so terribly by the bushes, it would have been a perfect reflection. They were one in the same.

And then that Haruka started moving forward, hand outstretched. "It's okay, you can come out, Miho-chan. Did my grandfather order that no one could see me? Is that why you had to sneak in?" She frowned at the thought.

"Wait, Lady Haruka, you don't know if that is her for certain – and, you're not supposed to be out of your room. Your grandfather ordered..."

As the man spoke, the other Haruka continued to take one step forward after the other. She closed in the distance and Haruka took the opportunity to close what little bit was left, still holding the gun in the hand of her injured arm. She lunged – grasping her other self and raising the gun up to her forehead. Haruka pressed the barrel against girl's temple.

"Don't move!" she commanded in a deep voice.

It was not in her nature to threaten. It was not in her nature to endanger the life of another for her own gain. Yet Haruka found herself holding a life in her arms, restrained by the power of a weapon that she was holding.

"That gun looks fake, should we just-"

"Don't be rash!" one of the other bodyguards warned.

"What time is it? Since the first explosion." Haruka could feel perspiration trickling down her brow as she held one arm across the base of the other girl's neck, still holding the gun steady as she awaited an answer. When she received it, she posed another question. "And what time is it now?"

It was already over twenty minutes, and caught in a precarious situation, Haruka could not complete the agreement with Nishi. How was she supposed to find him? Maybe he had already left, concerned for his own well-being, convinced that Haruka had been slaughtered amidst the chaos.

"How much," she asked herself – or, rather, the other Haruka, "Do you value your life?"

The girl did not struggle against the grip of her captor. She answered the question in an even tone, although it was obvious that her voice was riddled with fear. "What are you after? Are you hear to finish the job from last time?"

Last time – so she at least knew that there had already been one attempt against her life. Obviously she did not remember the image of her attacker well enough, because even with her disguise, Haruka was far too short and slender to match even the silhouette of the man that had nearly done her in. Nor did her voice sound deep enough to match that of a male's, no matter how much she tried to mask it. At best she resembled a prepubescent boy.

So she posed the question again, this time altered. "Would you kill someone else to save yourself?" Maybe the reason that Haruka bothered asking was because she knew that her answer had been diluted through the killing of aliens and watching people give up their lives to protect her. "How about... to save someone you love?"

"I would never forsake a life-"

"Not even for Nishi-kun?"

"I – how do you know... Who are you...?"

It was obvious enough to Haruka that the answer had changed. Her hands were already covered in blood, protecting her own life. Would it not be better if she coated it even thicker for the purpose of protecting others? There were only two things she cared about, anyways. Saving the Haruka that had not been exposed to the horrors of the Gantz world, and spending whatever time she had left with Nishi. As narrow, as silly, as stupid as that might have seemed to anyone else, it was all she had left.

And it was probably because her personality had already begun to warp that she could aim that gun at the arm of one of those bodyguards. Her mind was in a daze, eyes nearly unfocused, but she pulled the trigger without stopping to think of the consequences. The time had passed to hold back.

An explosion sounded, tearing asunder the muscle, sinew, and flesh – spewing blood across those that were standing nearby. A shriek of horror came from the girl that Haruka held in her grasp, and before the guards could react, Haruka turned her gun to the side of the house and pulled the trigger again.

Before the house blew open, Haruka pushed her other self forward and back to the bodyguards that would protect her. When another blast sounded and dust swarmed the area, Haruka used it as a cover to enter the house. She scrambled down the hallway, bumping past a maid who came running to see what all the commotion was.

Blood continued to trickle down the length of her arm, even as she tried to put pressure on the wound to staunch the blood flow. Her way to the office was a maze of twists and turns – detours she took to avoid anyone who might be patrolling. Then, standing in front of the door to the office, she found the strength to grasp the knob and wrench it open. Stumbling inside, she slammed it behind her.

"You're late."

The sound of Nishi's voice had never brought her more relief. Haruka collapsed onto her knees and looked blearily up at him through the tears streaming down her cheeks. She probably would not have noticed them, if not for the salty taste on her tongue. "I... shot someone..."

His eyebrows seemed to raise in surprise. "Oh? How did it feel?" A deranged grin surfaced on her face.

Haruka looked down at her trembling, blood-covered hands as she sobbed. "I... I..."

"It felt good, didn't it? I bet you enjoyed it – the rush."

She slapped her hands over her face, shaking her head furiously to deny his words. Yet there was something in Haruka, resting at the core of her being, that seemed to react to what Nishi said. Perhaps, as much as she wanted to deny it, there was some truth to what he said.

Haruka was beginning to enjoy the _kill._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I can't believe it's almost been TWO months since I last updated. :( Sorry guys, I was having some writer's block, but it seems to be pretty much cured by now. I have every intention of finishing this story, and frankly the writer's block I have suffered while writing this has been minimal so I expect I will be able to finish it_. _Hopefully I can manage one or two more updates before school starts up again in August. Thanks for all the supportive and encouraging reviews, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Nikki - Thanks for reviewing even if you struggle with English, I really appreciate your kind words. ^^_  
><em>


	9. Metamorphosis

**Chapter Nine ; Metamorphosis**

There was the sound of thundering footsteps, reverberating through the empty hallway. It was Haruka's pursuers, rapidly approaching the location where she and Nishi were hiding. Listening to the sound that matched her rapidly beating heart, somehow brought Haruka back to reality as she peeled her hands away from her face and nervously looked up to Nishi for some solution.

"W-what are we going... to do?" she asked him nervously.

For a moment he regarded her, apparently taking note of the wound on her arm. He sighed to himself. "If you had just worn your Gantz suit..." As his voice trailed off, she could hear the sound of people talking just outside the door, ready to bust in at any moment. There was no time for them to escape now. No doubt they would be caught and killed promptly in the ensuing gunfire.

At least, that was what Haruka assumed. But Nishi suddenly reached down and grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her over to the window. He paused there to lift up the pane. Haruka half-expected that they would jump out, but they did not.

"Be quiet," he commanded, "Don't even breathe." Still holding onto her wrist, he pulled her down to the floor, where he finally released her. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and clamped it over her mouth, perhaps to ensure her silence. With her back pressed against his chest, Haruka could not see what Nishi was doing. But she could feel him rummaging through one of his pockets, because his hand kept bumping uncomfortably against her spine.

Then there was a strange sound, like sizzling that dissipated moments after she heard it. And while Haruka was not sure what the sound was or what it indicated, she could feel herself panicking as she watched the door. The knob turned slowly and when the door cracked open, her heart seized. She almost choked, but Nishi kept a firm hold over her mouth.

In any other situation, where their lives weren't at stake and she had not just blown off the arm of one of her former bodyguards, Haruka's heart might have been beating for an entirely different reason. She would have been more self-conscious about their position. But not now, not when she had death staring down at her like a predator cornering its prey.

As the bodyguards slowly entered, many of them covered in the splatter of blood from one of their comrades, they started shuffling about the room. When one came close to Haruka, she pulled her legs back against her chest. Her entire body was trembling as she snapped her eyes shut. Even Nishi did not seem to be entirely calm. She could taste the sweat on the palm of his hand. And his lips, which rested right beside the shell of her ear, parted as he let out an exhale. Haruka could feel his warm breath against her skin and she resisted the urge to shudder from her embarrassment.

"There's a blood trail to the window," one of the men noted as he peered out of it. "Looks like they got away. Should we pursue?"

"Someone check to make sure the computer has not been accessed – they may have come here for company information." The leader, apparently, rattled off a list of orders to his subordinates. And with that, they were dispatched.

Still, Nishi and Haruka could not yet breathe a sigh of relief or move from their position. Someone had lingered behind to investigate any suspicious activity on the computer. Nishi did not seem keen on them discovering his snooping, nor did he seem content to wait until the man left.

"Shoot him," he whispered against Haruka's ear.

Unable to answer verbally, she shook her head under his grasp. She did not want to have to take a life. Haruka was not even sure if the other man had even survived having his arm blown off. And while she had done that for self-preservation, the guilt was eating her away inside. She could not stand to see herself repeat the mistake.

"You already killed one," Nishi told her frankly in almost inaudible tone. "One more won't make a difference."

Again, she shook her head. No matter how much he tried to persuade her, Haruka would not be convinced. She was still in despair over what she had already done. The tears trickled down from her eyes and against his hand.

He pulled his hand away from her mouth and reached down for her hand, wresting the gun from her grasp. Before Haruka could protest, he aimed it and pulled the trigger. There was no hesitation on Nishi's behalf. The thought of taking a life did not seem to bother him, evidenced when Haruka discovered exactly what body part he had seen fit to explode.

As the man was sitting there at the desk, typing away at the keys, he stopped suddenly as his head swelled. His reaction was delayed as his eyes bulged and exploded, along with the rest of his skull. The explosion sent blood splattering across the monitor and the rest of the room as a loud thud resounded, the body toppling over onto the floor.

Haruka gasped in disbelief. "Th-that was..."

While she remained in shock, Nishi shoved the gun into his pocket and forcefully lifted her up. Haruka was little more than a rag doll that he ended up dragging along with him. Nishi was the first one out of the window, and while Haruka was reluctant to leave the scene, he managed to coax her into crawling out after him.

With her injury, the escape proved difficult – Nishi had to catch her as she came out of the window. And as Haruka seemed completely dazed, he was forced into holding her wrist in a vice-grip just to string her along with him. Perhaps it was in the rush of the moment that he felt some kind of obligation to keep her with him, because ordinarily, it seemed like he would abandon her without hesitation.

The hole that they had entered from had already been secured, narrowing their options. Nishi contemplated blowing another hole into the wall, but considering that Haruka was not only injured but completely out of it, she would slow them down enough that it would be difficult to avoid getting caught.

Haruka silently lamented that she had not worn her suit, which would have made it easier to escape – but that was exactly it. While she had neglected to do so, Nishi had not. And while it would have drawn too much attention to him when they entered, thereby compromising their plan, it was their only option for leaving.

He seemed to have reached the same conclusion. "On my back," he told her, although it was more than obvious that he loathed the bending down that it required for her drape herself over him. Nishi took hold of her thighs as Haruka wrapped her arms around my neck. "Don't choke me," Nishi warned her as he took several steps back. Then, in a leaping bound that more than cleared the eight foot wall, the two soared through the air.

At any other time, the feeling of flying might have been exhilarating. However, Haruka ended up closing her eyes as the wind whipped through her hair. When, with a crashing sound that split open the concrete, Nishi landed in the street, her eyelids fluttered open again. The noise would, no doubt, create a commotion and call attention to the area.

"Hold on tight. Unless you want to fall off, that is." And Haruka imagined that Nishi had no qualms about leaving her behind if she did manage to tumble off of his back. So she tightened her grip around his neck, pressing her body against his back.

His muscles, rippling beneath the suit that gave him superhuman strength, bulged hideously as he took off at an unimaginable speed. Haruka was forced to close her eyes again, hoping that as he maneuvered through the suburban area and into the heart of the city, that he would not call attention to himself or unwitting crash into something. Because unlike him, she was not wearing a suit that would protect her from such a collision.

Eventually, when Nishi seemed to think that they had reached a safe point, he stopped suddenly. And without much regard for Haruka, he suddenly released her thighs. In surprise, she simultaneously relinquished her grip around his neck and wound up tumbling to the ground. Nishi turned to gaze upon her, and from the expression in his eyes, it seemed as though he regarded her as little more than unwanted baggage that he had been forced to lug around with him.

Most of the bleeding from her wound had ceased, but Haruka was still in a stupor. She barely grunted from the impact of her back colliding with the concrete sidewalk. Instead, she belatedly struggled to stand up, although her body swayed dangerously. The hood of her jacket had fallen away from her head, revealing hideous scratches across her cheeks and nose.

For a moment Nishi just stared at her, as though studying the condition of her body. He did not seem to grant her any pity for her state. Instead, he turned on his heel and started walking. "Let's go."

As though she were a puppet and his words the strings that controlled her movement, Haruka obediently ambled after him. And while she followed Nishi all the way back to his apartment, there was a noticeable gap between them. Both in a literal and figurative sense.

While Nishi did not seem the least bit bothered by the life he had taken, Haruka was hung up over the life she _might_ have taken. Even if her answer had changed and she was able to endanger someone else for the sake of saving herself – her real self – it did not change who she was; a person who had a strong moral sense and a terrible guilty conscience.

So when they got back to the apartment, Haruka just settled down in the middle of the floor and hugged her legs to her chest. She tuned out the outside world and silently admonished herself. Like a broken reel of film, the image of that man's arm tearing open replayed in her mind over and over again. Even if she hadn't wanted to see it, she could not stop it from running through her thoughts continuously.

And while she preoccupied herself with that, Nishi disappeared in the bathroom. When he returned, it was with a first aid kit that he set beside Haruka. "If you don't want it to fester, you better dress that wound." Not that he seemed to mind either way. But perhaps it meant something that he had at least retrieved the bandages for her.

The apartment fell quiet as Nishi left Haruka to shower. Even as distant as she was, she could make out the sound of the water crashing against the tiled wall. While he was gone, she did little more than eye the bandages with a faint sense that she did not deserve to have her wound dressed. If it festered, would the pain not be what she deserved for her sin?

When Nishi finished in the shower and came out, hair still dripping wet – apparently he had not bothered to dry it off – he stopped in front of Haruka. "Moping?" he remarked before taking a seat in front of her. He held out his hand expectantly.

Without stopping to ponder why he was extending an act of kindness, Haruka rolled up the sleeve of the sweater that she had borrowed from him. There was dried blood caked over her wound and across the length of her arm in a zig-zag design.

While Nishi cleaned the wound, he kept his eyes focused on it. There was a strangely excited look on his face, as though he derived some sense of pleasure at seeing it up close. It was with noted disappointment that he announced what Haruka had already assumed. "It's shallow, shouldn't take long to heal."

"Have you dressed many wounds?" Haruka asked offhandedly. It was like idle chatter, which Nishi had never seemed very content to engage himself in.

"Who knows," he answered vaguely.

When a bandage had been wrapped around her arm, he stood up and went over to his computer. "I'll pull up the information I got earlier and you can look through it." That solved the question of whether or not he had been able to access it. Despite the sacrifices, they had managed to make some progress toward solving who was coming after her – although she was not entirely sure why. Haruka had a few guesses, at least.

The sun was already beginning to set when she peered out the parted curtains of the window beside Nishi's bed. Haruka assumed that she would be shooed out; after all, despite how kind he had been to let her stay one night, there was no way he would allow her to stay another... Would he? She dared not ask for more than he had already done.

As she waited for Nishi to pull up the profiles on her grandfather's workers, Haruka stood up and walked over to Nishi's bed. She paused to glance at him, but his back was turned to her. So she crawled across the mattress, which was well-cushioned and comfortable – making her a little jealous, since she had not enjoyed such luxury in some time.

Haruka settled down, sitting on top of her legs, in front of the window. She pressed the side of her face against the glass pane. It felt strangely cool against her cheek. And her breath started fogging up the window.

It reminded her that she did not want to go outside, did not want to make the trek all the way to that subway. The comfort of Nishi's apartment, even sleeping on the floor, was what she much preferred. Not solely because of whatever feelings she had for him, either.

"There," Nishi announced. There was a creak as he turned in his seat to face her. "Take a look."

Despite the exhaustion weighing down on her eyelids, Haruka managed to keep alert as she crawled off the bed and wandered hesitantly over toward Nishi. She bent over his shoulder to take a look at the profiles that he started shuffling through, one image at a time.

"We'll start with higher-ups," he told her. "Then we can narrow it down."

Together, they spent at least an hour that proved ultimately unfruitful. Haruka did not recognize any of the men in the pictures. So they were left with many lesser employees, which would take even more time to sort through. Even though Haruka was growing impatient, knowing that the time that they had was limited, she had no choice but to wait.

It was too late to continue and their bellies were growling from hunger after spending the majority of the day out and about. Since Haruka felt that she had imposed on Nishi enough, she decided that taking her leave would be for the best. But before taking off, she felt as though she at least owed Nishi her gratitude.

"Th-thank you, by the way," she muttered as she bowed toward him. Like a curtain, her hair fell in front of her face and shaded it from view. "Sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you. I'll be taking my leave now."

"To go where?" It was not a genuine question, it was rhetorical – an emphasis on the fact that she had _nowhere_ to go. "You sound like an old woman. Sleep here."

It was a strange way of offering up hospitality, but Haruka supposed that it was Nishi's way. He bumped past her and disappeared into the kitchen, where he seemed to rummage through the cabinets for something to eat. There was the sound of the microwave powering on, and so Haruka assumed he was cooking something. Whether he put any thought into whether she was hungry or not – Haruka really didn't care. Her appetite was already ruined by her conscience, regardless of how much her stomach disagreed with her, growling incessantly.

So she pulled off her blood-splattered hoodie and rolled it up to use as a pillow, curling up beside Nishi's bed. Haruka settled down and closed her eyes, but there was no way that she could sleep. In the darkness with her eyelids secured shut, all she could see was the repeating image of the man whose arm was blown off, and then the man whose head exploded.

The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her, the worse she felt. And then, gradually, to compensate for the weight of that guilt, her mentality started to change. It seemed like there was a voice in the back of her mind, growing louder and louder. While she inwardly admonished herself for what happened, that voice started making excuses for those actions, justifying them... At first, Haruka stuck to her morals, convinced that nothing could excuse taking a life. But as time would go on, she would eventually start to believe that it was self-defense.

It was not a deficiency of human decency on her part; humans were always programmed to find excuses and justify their reasoning. If they could not accept their own actions, they could not function in the long term. It was basic psychological defense that she succumbed to.

"Hey." Nishi suddenly nudged her with his foot.

Haruka rolled onto her back and looked up at him. He had two steaming bowls of ramen, balancing precariously in either hand.

"Hurry and eat."

At his command, she sat up. Even though she still had no interest in eating, Haruka used the chopsticks he provided to force the steaming hot noodles into her mouth. She did not even pay attention to the fact that it seared her taste buds. In her numbness, she could not even taste the flavor.

And Nishi, on the other hand, seemed entirely unaffected. No doubt because the Gantz world and life had already molded him into a person lacking the same morals that had contrarily been ingrained into Haruka. Nor did he seem to notice how upset she seemed to be over it, or if he did, he made no attempt to reassure or comfort her.

Maybe the fact that he had bothered to make her food at all was enough. Added onto the fact that he had helped her bandage her arm. Had Haruka not been so preoccupied with her own inner turmoil, she might have felt gratitude.

In the days that followed, an odd routine began. While Nishi went to school, Haruka returned to her "job," earning nothing more than pocket change that, at the very least, could afford to buy some of the meals. When they both returned home, around the same time, it was back to perusing through the employee profiles.

Two days after the initial break-in, Haruka found herself sitting on the steps leading up to Nishi's apartment, waiting for him. He was unusually late returning. Perhaps it was her own inner paranoia kicking in that had her imagining the most unrealistic possibilities. The more she thought, the more she worried, until she was about to get up and search for him herself.

But then she heard the old familiar click of his shoes as he shuffled along the sidewalk. Haruka stood upright and greeted him meekly as he approached.

"Ah," he acknowledged, stopping before he mounted the staircase to follow after her as she headed up toward the apartment. "I saw Koizumi in school today." It was almost an out of character comment for him to make – it sounded so normal, contrary to Nishi who was usually of few words and granted her only cruel, jabbing ones when he did speak.

Haruka was mildly chagrined at the news. It was inevitable and there was nothing she could do about it. She knew it was only a matter of time. "I have to hurry..."

"And once you've seen the face of your killer, what will you do?" he challenged. "This is the extent of my help, until you can prove yourself in Gantz."

"I already told you... I would kill-"

"You won't be able to." He said it like he _knew_ her better than she knew herself. And even though Haruka would like to deny it, it was probably true; Nishi had spent enough time observing her to get at least some insight into how her mind worked. "Do you have the guts to take away someone's father, husband, or son? If that man has a family, you'll fall apart; you won't go through with it."

"But I..." Haruka hesitated upon hearing those words. It was not as though she had not given any thought to the family that man might have. She had even considered what motives he might have for doing it – to put food on the table for his family, to send his children to college. If it was something along those lines, she knew if she discovered the reason, it would make her task more difficult.

And in the end, she could not say what was more important to her. In order to save herself, she would have to forsake the life of another. While she had resolved herself to do so, she had not fully evaluated what effect it would have on her.

"You might as well give up now."

She felt him bump against her as he passed her on the narrow staircase. "Wait!" Haruka called out after him. "How can I give up after coming this far?" It was more a question she was asking herself and less a question she posed toward Nishi. Because she reminded herself that the whole reason for all of this was to protect the normal life that the other Haruka had. In order to do that, she had already committed a great sin, in attacking one of the bodyguards that had staked his life on protecting her. Then there was the one that Nishi had killed.

In the end, Haruka would have to give her one-hundred points that she earned in Gantz to Nishi in repayment of helping her. If she could even get that many points... And then, to try and get another one-hundred to break free of that gruesome world – no, it was probably not in the realm of possibility for someone like Haruka. She understood that. Inevitably, she would die, and the "original" Haruka would remain to live her carefree life. That was how things were supposed to be.

And when she thought like that, it made things easier.

"I can kill him," she promised Nishi. "I'll do whatever I have to do." Because, as Haruka was beginning to understand, she was little more than a phantom in society. Phantoms were not people, and therefore not bound by the same morals as ordinary people.

Strangely – very strangely – Nishi glanced back at her with a wry smile on his face. "Is that so?" He said nothing more as he continued clambering up the stairs. Haruka followed after him, and the two gathered around his computer rather than clamoring for a meal. Despite the growling in their stomachs, both had their own motives for wanting this. Though Haruka was unsure as to what Nishi's was.

"It's been narrowed down far enough that it has to be one of these fifteen," Nishi told her as he opened the information. He started scrolling through the photos, one by one, and the number was narrowed down further and further. Until, third from the last, Haruka stopped him.

It was with vivid recollection that she remembered seeing a mere glimpse of that face, chasing her down with grim determination. And now Haruka found herself staring him down. A forty year-old man, divorced with two children. He was at the bottom end of the totem pole, so to speak, a long time worker that had never managed to move up in rank.

"That's him," Haruka confirmed to Nishi. "I need to write down the address so I can..."

"So when are you planning to do it?" As he asked, he pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen from his desk, passing it over to her. "It's almost night time. Don't tell me you plan to let him go peacefully, killing him in his sleep."

"No. I won't let him get off that easily," she said solemnly. "He chased me down like a cornered mouse – and isn't it only right if I return the favor?" Her eyes glazed as she spoke those words, reciting them just as she had heard them. That voice in the back of her head echoed that excuse, justifying the cruelty she was about to exhibit.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Faster update than last time, woohoo! And I think this story will end up longer than I originally intended, go figure. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for the reviews.


	10. Grim With Determination

**Chapter Ten ; Grim with Determination**

While she did not know the price of sin, she had been taught that everyone paid their toll when the end came. She had been saved from that toll once when Gantz had brought her to the apartment. But nothing could rescue her a second time. Her debt would not go unnoticed again. Yet Haruka began to place less and less credence into what retribution she would meet when she stood at death's doorstep.

She was not human – she was a copy. And as soon as she settled on that thought, morals became unwritten laws that she had no obligation to abide by. Whatever humanity had ingrained into her was gradually swept away by Nishi's influence and the madness of the Gantz world. Strange, it seemed, how easily she allowed it to slip through her fingers. That guilty conscience that had once plagued her grew quieter and quieter.

It was the third time she had been summoned to the Gantz room, but only the second time since she understood the aim of the game. While the newcomers scrounged for answers, looking to each other for some assurance that they had not met their end, Haruka kept her silence. She kept close to Nishi and had her eyes averted. If she looked at them, then she feared her heart might waver from the condition he had given her: not to help anyone and to earn the most points.

"Are we really dead?"

An arbitrary question, she thought. Yet it was something she had wondered herself when she had first arrived.

"What about you guys, in the suits?" The question was directed toward her, Izumi, and Nishi. She did not look up to see who was addressing her, however. Like a coward – and she knew it – she hid behind Nishi's back. "Is that cosplay?"

While she listened to them in silence, Haruka realized that Nishi and Izumi would not give any answers. Just as before, they did not volunteer any information. These people – new at the game – were like cows lined up for the slaughter. And they were strangely predictable. Just like the last batch, reluctant to accept the reality set before them.

And when that sleazy old music played and Gantz opened up, they all gasped in disbelief. They laughed to themselves that it was some game show with hidden cameras. Ignorant fools is what they were. Haruka felt hardened toward them as she finally began to understand why it was so pointless trying to explain. They would not understand if she tried. They would not listen if she spoke.

Even though it was abandoning everything she believed in, she did not pipe in a word to try and sway any of them to put on the suits. Few of them reached for a gun and thought of them as little more than cheap toys.

Haruka caught Nishi glancing over his shoulder back at her during all of the commotion. It was clear from the way he was gazing at her that he was both impressed she had kept her silence and, at the same time, glowering at her to make sure she knew that he intended for her to continue without a peep.

"I won't help you," he told her quietly when he turned his head away. Equipped with the invisibility device that he always used and his usual gun, he intended to go off as usual and pick off some of the aliens while they were preoccupied killing off the other Gantz members. It was a plan that Haruka would never have condoned before.

Perhaps because she had grown to depend on him in the time that she had been staying with him, it was difficult for her to grasp the fact that – in Gantz – she was completely on her own. Once their target was revealed, they were all transported into the midst of the city. Haruka was separated from Nishi and found herself mixed with a small group of the "newbies."

"Whoa! What was that?" one of them gasped.

She gripped the handle of her gun tightly and turned her back on them, fully intent on leaving.

"Hey there, kid..." It was a girl, a couple of years older than Haruka and a whole head taller, that came up from behind Haruka. She was wearing heavy make-up with a dark tan. Ganguro style? "Where are you going? Do you, like, know what's going on? Did you die, too?"

Haruka's blue eyes glowered up at the female posing the questions, and while she listened to them patiently, one after the other, she did not respond to any of them. Talking to someone else would just perpetuate the quiet, yet nagging voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her to "do the right thing." However, as Haruka was beginning to realize, the world was not so black and white that it had good and bad clearly defined. It was varying shades of gray. And even if what she was doing happened to be a darker gradient, she could not allow herself to be dissuaded.

Clinging desperately to her resolve, she stalked off down the street, traipsing more-like. And while the ganguro-teen called after her with harsh words and curses, Haruka did not bother to look over her shoulder. She kept her gun close and her finger steady on the trigger as she started searching for what it was they were supposed to be killing. This time what was revealed on the Gantz screen was small snakes – a seemingly easy enemy.

But, as she suspected from her previous experience, there were small-fries and then there was the boss, so to speak. The latter of the two was worth the most points and so she decided to forego trying to deal with the little ones. Searching out the large one while picking some off would benefit her the most.

Inwardly, it sickened Haruka to see herself becoming cold and calculating. Yet for every ounce of guilt she felt, she piled on the reasons as to why she should not. That she was not human, that her goal was too lofty to be lost on trying to save other people. That they owned the responsibility of their own lives and that it was no different if they had died in Gantz since they had already died in the real world.

And she did not want to be a hypocrite anymore, even if her logic was still riddled with hypocrisy.

In the night where all she could hear was the echo of her own footsteps and the symphony of crickets, Haruka searched. At each intersection, she peered both ways. It was, once again, a mostly deserted suburban neighborhood. The occasional person who passed by did not, of course, notice her.

Although she was beginning to think she would never find one of those snakes, she at last spotted one as it slithered up harmlessly from a sewer drain. It resembled a black asp, and yet while it seemed to spot her, it turned and began wriggling in the opposite direction. Rather than running away, it appeared to be heading toward something.

As Haruka soon noticed, from all of the sewer drains in the area, the snakes were beginning to crop up. She thought, given the sheer number of them as they started crowding together in dozens, heading down the street, that it would be easy to effortlessly pick them off. So when she took aim and fired, she had no expectation of what would happen next.

The shot went off and appeared to hit one of the snakes clearly. Haruka did not hesitate to fire off a couple more times, randomly aiming at the cluster of slithering aliens. And then she waited in anticipation for the imminent explosion.

As soon as it came, blood spurted across the cement and the survivors. And it seemed almost as though the bodily fluids of its comrades set the other snakes into a frenzy. They turned from their intended destination and with a fury and swiftness that Haruka did not expect, they lunged toward her. Faster than she was able to run, one of them caught up. Just as it barred its fangs and readied to take a bite, her muscles bulged as she leaped to the top of a nearby brick fence.

While the aliens clamored after her in fervor, Haruka continued to shoot at them. But the supply, it seemed, was endless. In dozens they came up together from the sewers. And while she was preoccupied trying to eliminate them, Haruka heard distant screams.

A brief glance in the direction of the sound – momentarily turning her attention away from her own peril – revealed one of the newbies from earlier. A robust man who was running from a gang of black asps. They easily caught up and constricted around his feet, causing the man to tumble to the ground.

She expected a grisly death thereafter... That he would be bit into and devoured by every last one of them. Yet, while one managed to get a grip around his neck and strangle him into motionlessness, none of them took a bite. Instead, in a determined sort of way, they started dragging the body away.

And it was in that time that she was distracted that one of the asps managed to slip up the side of the wall and wrap itself around Haruka's foot. She noticed belatedly and tried ineffectively to kick it away. When that did not work, Haruka let out a growl between her lips as the muscles in her arms rippled and she took hold of the creature's head in her hand and promptly crushed it.

Panicked to escape, she leaped into the air. Taking several unintentional spins, she landed somewhat ungracefully back on the street, where the asphalt cracked beneath her weight. Ignoring her pursuers, Haruka took off after the body that was being dragged away. She thought that if, perhaps, she followed it, she could find the source of the smaller snakes. Although she already had her suspicions as to where the aliens were taking the man, and while she briefly entertained the idea that he might have still been alive, Haruka knew the odds were stacked against him. Still, it seemed as though he was the intended meal for a much larger enemy, or so her imagination dreamed up.

When she spotted the man, he still looked fully unconscious, eyes open with a blank stare. He was already halfway below ground, being pulled into the sewers. Somehow the snakes had managed to raise the metal lid in the middle of the street and while they apparently had intended to take him under, his layers of fat had acted as a cork to keep him from being yanked beneath.

Going off of his pale appearance and vacant expression, Haruka silently confirmed that he had already been killed. This was especially evident when some of the snakes managed to wriggle up from beneath the almost non-existent space that his waist occupied in the hole. Undeterred by the fact that he was too large to pull under, they started attacking his stomach with vicious determination. Blood splattered everywhere and acted as a sort of lubricant. He popped, almost like a cherry, and disappeared into the sewer after the slithering creatures.

Haruka cast a brief glance over her shoulder before jump down into the pit after them. The sensation of falling was short but exhilarating. And fortunately, rather than landing in the excretion and various other bodily fluids, Haruka's feet smashed squarely in the cement walkway that sat adjacent to the flowing river of shit. She choked on the pungent stench, pinching her nose with one hand and holding her gun steady with the other.

She likened the smell to that of the subway she had slept in before, but the sewer proved to be far worse. There was nothing she could compare it to. And she was too preoccupied to try – following the blood trail left behind by the man's body. The way was dimly lit and for that, Haruka was grateful. She would have loathed feeling around in the dark, ultimately wading through that river of feces to try and find her way, had there not been lights.

One relief did come from being in the sewer, however. Her pursuers had seemingly given up their chase. It gave her time to try and calculate her plan of attack. Haruka was not entirely sure what she would be up against. A larger snake, she assumed? But something made her believe that it could be far worse than that.

While she never caught up with the body being dragged on ahead, she did come to spot a sort of intersection in the distance. The noise from there echoed down the pathway she was walking. Not quite like a roar but a strange, screeching sound that left her abandoning her nose in favor clamping her hands over her ears. It was a woeful cry that was soon replaced by the sound of shattering bones as Haruka nervously inched closer and closer.

Taking a gulp of air – not through her nose but through her mouth – Haruka charged forward. As she reached the intersection, she turned to the right to discover a vast, hollowed out space. Beneath the murky fluid, something large and scaly was writhing. She could barely see it and might not have, had she not spotted the bloodied body of the man just a short distance away. The snakes had left it, apparently, precariously balanced on the edge and about to fall in at any moment.

Before it could, the creature from below rose up and snatched the man into its mouth. Crimson liquid, reflected in the dim light, reflected off of its jowls as it chomped down and swallowed the juicy morsel. The sound of the bones being gnashed between its teeth made Haruka feel queasy but she did not lose her determination.

Her opponent was not – as it turned out – the giant snake that she had predicted. More so it was a sort of serpent – mythical in appearance – that was slithering beneath the city. Although she had not expected to recognize it as anything resembling a creature from the real world, Haruka was surprised at its size and appearance. Beneath the river of fluids, she could not quite discern how long it was exactly. All she knew for certain was that it seemed to stretch on endlessly, when on the occasion it lifted some part of itself to coil around.

As it had not yet seemed to have recognized her presence, Haruka aimed her gun and pulled the trigger. Since it was in hiding, she could not quite tell where the head was. So she shot in several places just to be sure she had made a proper hit. Even then, she was not sure the gun would be able to damage it from beneath the layer of fluids it was hidden beneath.

And, it seemed, she had not managed to hit it even once. It appeared perfectly intact as it rose from the excretion it had been slithering around in. With great fury, it turned its sleekly shaped head toward Haruka. Yellow eyes gleamed through the dark momentarily, just before it lunged at her to strike. It was so quick that she barely had time to stumble out of the way. Debris went flying as she fell to her side, scrambling to move out of the way of the next attack, which was almost as instantaneous.

Her shooting may not have managed to hit the creature but it had certainly gotten its attention. As she struggled to keep from being hit, Haruka managed to fire off a few more shots in the beast's direction, though she was uncertain as to whether she had managed to hit it with any of them. When the ceiling and wall started exploding, it confirmed that she had not.

Adrenaline was pumping as she leaped from one walkway to the adjacent one, flying over the liquid. It would have been seamless, had the creature not predicted the move. One of its coils rose up and knocked her from the air, sending her flying back into the wall. The concrete collapsed under the force with which she had been thrown. It was only thanks to the Gantz suit that she had not been crushed.

If she did not act fast, it would strike again. But with the wind knocked out of her, Haruka was slow to react. When she tried to dodge again, the creature managed to grab hold of her left arm. And with it, the beast was able to lift Haruka from the ground. It thrashed about with her half-trapped in its mouth.

A scream erupted from the pit of her chest and tore through her throat, coming out as a strangled cry. Her face contorted in anguish as she kicked and punched at the scaled lips of the serpent, trying desperately to pry her arm away. The actions only seemed to enrage it as it slammed her against the wall again, its teeth clamping down into her arm.

Blood was flowing out of its slightly parted lips and Haruka felt incredible despair at knowing that it was her own. Her mind raced with possibilities as to how she could get herself out of the predicament. The beast did not seem to be inclined to release her arm any time soon. And she knew, in its grasp, it was only a matter of time before it killed her from slamming her into things. With it thrashing so violently, her neck could snap, too.

So in a split second decision that made have made her stomach lurch, had she bothered to debate it beforehand, Haruka slammed the barrel of the gun in-between the serpent's slightly open mouth. She could not see where she was aiming and only hoped she would not be mutilating herself as she repeatedly pulled the trigger. It sounded off several times but there was a delay before her salvation came.

In a roar, the beast released her, slinging her to the wall. Prepared for it, she managed to land on her feet. A crater was left behind as she then collapsed against the walkway, cradling her torn up appendage, what little of it she could still recognize through the blood, saliva, and shredded skin.

And it was then that she noticed, in grim horror, that something was happening to her suit. A blue-colored liquid started pouring out as she tried to stand and retreat. At first, Haruka did not understand the significance behind it, until she tried to use the suit to propel herself forward and out of the way of another attack – as the serpent's tail came shooting out toward her.

Since the suit had failed her, she was struck square in the stomach and pinned momentarily against the wall. The creature had not recovered from her attack and therefore released her, though certainly not intentionally. It was not still searching for where she had managed to escape to.

When she saw its glowering eyes turn toward her, Haruka gritted her teeth. Through the pain in her arm and in her stomach, she was barely conscious and completely immobile. For as much as she commanded her legs to move, they ignored her.

Taking shallow breaths, she looked up shakily at the creature as it advanced toward her slowly. It seemed to know just as well as she did that the fight had ended. On the losing end, she was about to be devoured. Haruka was so sure it was the end that she closed her eyes and took one final breath.

But then she heard the sniveling cries of a girl, prompting her to peek out. Through half-lidded eyes, she noticed that – just down the way where the intersection was – a new offering had been brought. And this one was alive.

"Please, oh God! Help me! Help me!"

It was the ganguro girl from before. Haruka barely reacted from the recognition. In her state, she could not even pretend to be capable of trying to protect someone else. That teenager was going to die right after she did. Except, the serpent seemed more inclined to kill the lively one first, deeming the struggling ganguro-teen more appetizing. And since Haruka could not escape, it had nothing to lose by devouring the other girl first.

Haruka's body was trembling as she watched. She wanted to look away but she could not. As soon as the creature approached, the snakes released the squirming girl. Haruka watched the girl as she tried in vain to escape, running back toward the exit. But she was not fast enough. The snake lunged and caught her upper body in its mouth.

And Haruka choked as she watched it crunch down on the girl's torso, her legs still swinging around violently as though the teen was still trying to run away. Blood squirted across the ground as the girl's body was severed into two. But the legs soon followed their counterpart in being devoured.

It was not the first time Haruka had seen such a thing. It was not the second time, either. And she found that the more she saw people die, the less it came to affect her. True that she feared for her own life, but she did not rue abandoning that teenager to go off on her own. Nor did she feel an aching guilt that those people had been sacrificed only because she, Nishi, and Izumi had chose not to say anything.

All of those feelings, or lack thereof, would not mean anything once she was dead, because the serpent was turning back toward her. This time, Haruka did not close her eyes. She felt less trepidation about the inevitable. If she was fated to die – and, technically, she already had – there was no reservations that she could have about it. Even if she wished that, prior to this mission, she had been able to lay claim to the life of her killer. That would not matter once she was eaten alive, held in the creature's belly until its stomach acid burned through her skin, her bones and muscle tissue. She imagined how gruesome it would be.

But the serpent never made it back to her, stopped prematurely as a person darted in from the shadows and slashed at its neck with an elongated blade. The gleam of silver momentarily blinded Haruka, who squinted to recognize Izumi.

His dark hair whipped around as he darted out of the pathway of the serpent's attack. Like a skilled martial artist, he flipped through the air and delivered another devastating blow that left blood spewing like a geyser. Haruka was both in awe and gracious for his fortunate timing. It was – coincidentally – the second time he had inadvertently saved her.

While both he and the alien-snake were preoccupied, Haruka managed to regain enough movement to stand on her feet. Her left arm dangled uselessly, still bleeding profusely. Her stomach ached from the pain of the last blow she received. Haruka still managed to trudge in the direction of the battle. Any sane person would have headed the opposite direction, but this was the perfect opportunity for her.

At least, that had been her hope as she hobbled closer and closer. But the serpent managed to one-up Izumi when he miscalculated his step. It slapped him with its tail when he next ascended into the air, sending him flying into the opposing wall. There was an impressive indent and the katana that Izumi had been using went flying straight toward Haruka. She knew she could not move out of the way – it was only fortunate that it clattered onto the ground in front of her instead of staking through her.

While the serpent turned to finish its battle with Izumi, Haruka lifted her gun to try and shoot it from behind. But, gritting her teeth in frustration, she realized she did not have a good aim of its head from such a distance. And someone else seemed to have the same idea that she did.

There was the sound of something firing and the veil he had been hidden in fell away, revealing Nishi standing a couple of yards ahead of Haruka, with a clear view of the snake. But while Haruka's gun was used to obliterate the enemy, his was for capturing. The net that was cast, however, ended up being caught in the jowls of the creature as it noticed Nishi out of the corner of its eyes.

Unfortunately, Nishi's response was delayed as one of the serpent's coils shot out of the water and reached for him, looping around his body and constricting. Haruka watched in horror as it squeezed around him, and his gun clattered to the ground before rolling into the murky liquid, which he was soon to be submerged in.

"No..." she muttered in shock. "N... Nishi!"

Thinking quickly, she reached for sword in front of her. She was not used to using such a weapon, nor did she have confidence in how to wield it. But Haruka forsook her gun in favor of the katana, which she raised as she charged.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Another (semi-fast) update, and I have another chapter prepared that I just need to proofread and then will post that as well. So probably sometime late next week as I am in the midst of preparing for school. And OTL using snakes... Sorry, I really am not very creative with monsters. But the action scenes were fun to write, if only because this is the first story I've ever had the opportunity to write them in. Next time I am going to try to come up with something more imaginative for them to fight against. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyed!

**babycake - **Thank you so much for the nice review. :D I am glad you like the story and the pairing.

**TheIslander - **On the whole, I dislike characters that have no backbone. Having seen them a lot in anime, they annoy me endlessly if only because they rarely see any development and remain cry babies. But using that type of personality for Haruka, it was my hope to show gradual, believable development, changing her into something entirely different. Being with Nishi and going through the horrors of Gantz is a double dose of reality for someone who, up to this point, was a spoiled princess. So now that she is beginning to change, I think it's becoming a bit more rapid, but she is still Haruka to the core. (Oh, now I'm rambling.) Thanks so much for the review, I really loved your insight. Reviews like yours are what really give me motivation to write. :)


	11. The Path of No Return

**Chapter Eleven ; The Path of No Return**

The thought of losing Nishi was almost more unbearable than losing her own life. It elicited a fiery rage and determination that Haruka did not know she had. Although, without the superhuman power that the Gantz suit provided, Haruka was rendered as helpless as any ordinary human. She was not particularly athletic, nor did she possess any the sort of strength it required to wield a sword effectively. But in her haste to protect Nishi, none of that mattered. She did not calculatingly account for the fact that the serpent was severely injured, thereby giving her a distinct advantage.

Through sheer recklessness, she managed to land a few hits, swinging the blade in her hand wildly as she reached the snake's coil. Blood splashed across her face, nearly blinding her. Still she did not relent, instead following up with several more diagonal slashes at the creature's protective scales. On a stroke of good luck, she managed to catch and slash through the creature's underbelly, thereby loosening the grip it had on Nishi.

Taking that opportunity, Nishi crawled out from his constraint and leaped to the walkway behind Haruka. After he had been released, the monster was left writhing and thrashing in pain. Its head was held high in the air, and in its agony it began slamming itself against the ceiling repeatedly. The street above slowly started to crumble in on them.

Although temporarily safe by the distraction that the serpent's wounds had provided, their adversary had not been completely defeated yet. Against her better judgment, Haruka took a dive into the liquid. She struggled to maneuver around the oils that were slapping around. If she was hit by one of them, she knew it might kill her instantly. Submerged in the excretion, she swam just beneath the creature's lifted undercarriage. The liquid she was wading through seared as it entered the open wounds on her arm. Haruka choked back a scream – if only because opening her mouth would mean swallowing the feces she was surrounded by.

Despite being one-handed in her endeavor, she managed to place herself just below the serpent's belly as it came crashing down toward her. She held steady although fear coursed through her veins just as much as the adrenalin did. Whether she would still make it out of this, Haruka was not sure. But by some strange miracle, the katana seemed to respond to her fear.

Just as it had done for Izumi before, it elongated – shooting up from the murky fluid and piercing the serpent before it could crush Haruka in its descent. But unlike Izumi, she did not have the strength to utilize the full potential of the weapon. So when the body of the serpent, still thrashing wildly, came sinking down the blade toward her, Haruka was unsure of what to do.

"Move!" Nishi hollered at her from somewhere above.

Yanking desperately at the katana, she managed somehow to shorten it back to its normal size. And just in time, she ducked out of the way as the body of the creature came crashing toward her. When it hit the liquid, the force sent Haruka tumbling out and back onto the concrete pathway, covered in the sewer stench.

Haruka took a moment to recover, long enough to see that Nishi was using her weapon to shoot at the beast's head. And while each of his shots hit, they only seemed to blow off the scales – shallow wounds that seemed to have little effect.

"Give me back my katana!"

Her head jerked to see Izumi running toward her with a determined look. Haruka knew full well that although they all had the same opponent, they also knew that the points would not be distributed for equal team effort. Whomever managed to down the creature would be the one to reap the benefits. With only a few points left to go, Izumi wanted to be the one to finish.

That left Haruka with two choices. Either she could pass off the blade to him, knowing that Izumi could end it and that they would be saved, but that she would not receive more than a few points for picking off the smaller ones... Or she could, once again, choose to recklessly charge and hope to land the final blow, thereby earning the points for herself.

Perhaps it was less because she wanted the points all for herself and more a sense of self abandonment that prompted her to dive back into battle. When Izumi came close, she feigned that she would pass off the blade and pivoted around him. Although it was a poor attempt, she lifted the blade in her fist, slipped back over the edge and into the murky liquid, where she hoped Izumi would not follow.

Then, struggling through the violent waves created by the beast's writhing body, she waded close enough that she was just under the serpent's head. With its focus on Nishi, she managed to position herself perfectly. And while her intent was to elongate the blade just below the creature's jaw, stabbing it squarely through the head, she was interrupted when the creature sideswiped her, knocking her away.

Before she slammed against the wall, which would have no doubt knocked her unconscious, she was caught by Izumi. He tried to pry the hilt out of her grip but she refused to release it. "I need those points!" she screamed at him as she clung to it.

He had not the patience for her refusal, and so despite her protests, Izumi roughly pried the hilt from her hands. Still Haruka tried to hold on, desperate for those points and to hold up the bargain she had made with Nishi. In the struggle, Izumi eventually slammed the hilt against her stomach to throw her off.

It was only fortunate that he did not do so at full strength. Still, Haruka was left gasping for breath. She stumbled back through the rolling waves of fluid that nearly took her feet right out from under her. Just as she was about to be submerged, a hand shot out from above and grasp hers.

"You idiot," Nishi chastised as he used the strength of his Gantz suit to hoist her up and out of the danger. Debris were falling down around them – the tunnel was too dangerous for them to stay. "We better leave."

Although, and she could tell by the expression on his face, Nishi did not want to abandon the opportunity to harvest more points. The kill would be Izumi's, despite their hard work. Yet Nishi muttered no complaints as he looped Haruka's arm around his neck. The two took off at a bumbling pace, with Nishi nearly dragging her along in their haste to escape the collapse.

Haruka struggled to cast a glance back at Izumi, but she could see nothing beyond the dust and the rubble left in their wake. Either he would kill the beast and claim the points, or the cave-in would finish the creature off. Either way, they would be heading back to the apartment shortly.

That brought her little comfort as the pain in her abdomen and arm were enough for her to double over. The only thing keeping Haruka upright was Nishi, who forcefully made her hobble along beside him, despite how much her body felt ready to collapse. All of the adrenalin had drained away and she could not last but perhaps a few steps further.

Fortunately, it seemed whatever good luck she did have had not run out. By the time they had managed to escape the danger area, Nishi started dissolving – Gantz was finally calling them back. And her turn came soon after his, as they both materialized back into the apartment room.

The sudden alleviation of pain as she was returned, fully uninjured, left Haruka sighing contentedly. But the relief she felt was temporary, since she knew that had missed out on the opportunity to claim the highest point count. It was, without a doubt, Izumi's.

Other people began to arrive, as well. It seemed that two other individuals had managed to escape being captured or killed by the small fries. Only one of them appeared particularly stricken – disturbed by what they had witnessed.

"H-How come you guys are here, too?" the trembling one – apparently a high school boy – asked Nishi and Haruka. "And w-where... Why aren't the others here?"

"So I guess some of you were lucky enough to avoid being killed," Nishi sighed, as though chagrined that they had not been slaughtered as well. "Not that it matters. You definitely won't be surviving the next one."

Ignoring the course of the conversation, Haruka peered around to locate Izumi. He had just started to materialize, shortly after she and Nishi had managed to return. Wearing his usual grim expression, he kept to the corner of the room with his arms crossed over his chest. He did not return her probing, curious glances.

"Then... what about... Rina-chan? I saw – she was dragged off by those snakes... Does that mean...?"

"Your girlfriend is dead." It was the first time that she had really heard Izumi open his mouth to say much of anything to anyone. Even still, he did not seem particularly bothered by the news that he was conveying. His gaze was focused on the black ball in the middle of the room, waiting for it to divvy out the points.

"But... Rina-chan, she... I thought..." The boy started wailing, collapsing onto his knees and balling into the palms of his hands.

"Hurry up and give us our scores, Gantz." Nishi was particularly impatient this time. It did not seem to help that people had managed to survive the mission, despite being completely uninformed about what was happening. He seemed especially irritated at the sniveling high schooler who was curled up onto the ground just a short distance away from him.

Haruka, too, was waiting with great anticipation. When the scores came up, she blanched. Izumi was the first to be given his scores – well past one-hundred since Gantz he had been the one to claim the serpent's life.

"Getting a weapon," Nishi immediately assumed when the screen presented Izumi with three different choices as to what he could spend his points on. Both Haruka and Nishi knew that he would not be resurrecting one of the deceased, nor did he seem the type content to go back to his normal life – though Haruka knew that would have been her choice, had she not been a copy.

But Haruka was more preoccupied with her own despair and disappointment, at having not met Nishi's conditions as she had sworn to do. It barely registered when Izumi made his choice. At least not until she heard a derisive remark from Nishi.

"What? You're going to just leave?" he huffed in disbelief and disapproval. "You aren't the type to be happy with a normal life."

"We'll see."

In silence she watched as his body seemingly disintegrated into the air. His memory would be wiped of everything he had been through and he would never again have to return to the apartment room. Haruka felt a burning sense of envy toward Izumi. Yet she did not understand him. For a person as strong as he, with a sense of bloodlust that rivaled Nishi's, Haruka was not quite sure why even he seemed intent on returning to a "normal" life. Perhaps because, given everything she had been through, she could not see it for herself, as much as she wanted it.

The next score to come out was Nishi's. Once again he was left muttering obscenities under his breath because of how frustratingly low his point count remained. Perhaps even he was a hypocrite, demanding that Haruka reach a high point count in one mission without being able to do so himself.

And then hers came – still referred to as board breasts. She had managed a staggering fifteen points in comparison to the others, the second highest. While it was impressive and in any other given situation, she would have been pleased with herself, Haruka was embittered by the fact that Izumi had still managed to top her. It was only by picking off all the little snakes that she had that she had accumulated such a count. All Haruka knew was that her points altogether amounted to only twenty-one, not even close to one fourth of what she needed.

Haruka lamented on the morals that she had abandoned, on the guilt that she had allowed to swallow her whole for her poor choices. For she had only sacrificed all of this because she had reasoned that, by doing so, she would be more powerful – that she would be capable of living up the conditions, as stated by Nishi. It did occur to her that her skills in battle had vastly improved in such a short duration, but that was no what she focused on.

Nishi snorted derisively at the insult that Gantz levied against the high school boy. "Too much crying, too much letting your girlfriend get killed for you. Wow, impressive – so you are sitting here pissing your pants because you feel guilty about being protected?"

The last score came out for a young woman who seemed to be a prostitute or some form of exotic dancer, judging by her choice in clothing. Unlike the other two, she had taken a gun – according to Gantz. She had managed a few points, but ultimately spent most of her time running away. And considering her chest was much larger than Haruka's, her nickname ended up being melon breasts as a counter to Haruka's nickname.

"Hm, so this ball does have some sense," the scantily-clad female commended.

With that, the score report was concluded. Everyone was free to leave, as the front door had been unlocked. Yet, unsure of what course of action to take next, Haruka remained on her knees. She looked up hesitantly at Nishi. Haruka knew well enough that he was not a person to take back words that had been spoken. Since she had not fulfilled her end, he would undoubtedly boot her from his apartment and send her on his way. Yet for all her pessimistic thoughts, that was not what he said to her.

"I don't want to loiter here. Hurry and get up," Nishi barked at her. He seemed particularly impatient, anxious to leave.

For a moment she hesitated and since it did not seem as though she would respond to him, Nishi reached down and grabbed her by the forearm. She stumbled after him as he dragged her out of the apartment. They did not go far before he flagged down a taxi to take them home – not that Haruka could consider his apartment her home.

The way back was little more than a blur for her. They did not speak to each other. All that was left between them was an eerie silence. Since the expression on Nishi's face was particularly grim, Haruka did not hold much hope for him to waive the requirement and overlook the terms of their agreement.

They did not speak until they were out of the taxi. Even then, Nishi did not turn to face her. He was heading determinedly for the stairs when she managed to reach out and catch his sleep. "I know," she started hazily, her voice falling quiet a moment after as she contemplated the next works. "I... didn't get the most points."

"And you helped someone," he complained at her, not even bothering to glance over his shoulder to look at her. "If you had ignored everything else, you would have gotten all of the points instead of giving them to Izumi."

Haruka was startled to hear that. "W-what? I didn't help..."

"You helped me." And he did not seem the least bit grateful about it. Nishi finally peered back at her, glowering as though angry that he had already helped her and she had fallen short of his expectations. It was unsettling and worsened the feeling of defeat that had already overcome Haruka.

Her lips went taut and then she frowned. "I'm sorry." It was a pointless apology as they both knew, yet she had some vain hope that he would forgive her if she said it. Yet, a moment after she lowered her head toward him, she felt something hard land against the top of her head. Yelping in pain, she reeled back, releasing his sleeve in favor of rubbing furiously at the newly forming bruise. It was then that Haruka saw Nishi with his hand lifted. Apparently he had... chopped her? Her brows knitted in her confusion.

"What a hindrance," he growled out in a low voice. "Quit apologizing and let's get inside."

"Wait!" she called after him as he started to turn away. "Does this mean... maybe... you'll still help me?"

"It looks like it," came his vague response.

Overwhelmed with joy and relieved to hear this, she leaped toward him and threw her arms around him. The tears that Haruka had been holding back – for feeling guilty, for feeling helpless, for feeling alone – they all came out as she sobbed against his chest. In their awkward embrace, she just cried into the yellow jacket he was wearing while he went rigid at the close contact.

"What are you..." His voice trailed off. Although it seemed that he was protesting, he did not struggle out of her grasp. Even if Nishi did not reciprocate it, at the very least he did not shove her away as she expected he would.

When finally she pulled away, still sniffling, she expected to be greeted with a disgusted look on his face. Instead he seemed listless, turning his back on her and stiffly making his way to the steps. Haruka followed obediently after him, like a duckling after its mother. Hastily, she wiped away the tears still lingering in the ducts of her eyes.

After they clambered up to the top, Nishi rummaged through his pocket for his keys. Once the door was unlocked, they entered together, leaving their shoes at the entrance. The lights were still on from earlier when they had been in the apartment, just before being transported to the Gantz room.

Without speaking a word to her, Nishi headed straight for the computer. Meanwhile Haruka borrowed one of t-shirts and headed for the bathroom. Even if Gantz had returned her without the injuries she had incurred during the mission, she could not shake the feeling of being submerged in... excretion. Haruka shuddered from the thought as she nudged the door shut and started the water in the bathtub.

She peeled off her Gantz suit and left it in a crumpled pile in the middle of the tiled floor as she stepped into the steaming liquid. Once she was fully inside, Haruka breathed a sigh of relief. Her cheeks were flushed as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment.

How much longer, she wondered, would she be able to enjoy such simplicity? When would the end come, and how would it find her? Such thoughts were burdening. But they could not be washed away no matter how much time passed. Haruka knew she would eventually die, sooner perhaps rather than later. So she thought about what she wanted before that happened. The first thing that came to mind was Nishi.

"The ramen's done," Nishi's voice came in through the closed door after a soft knock.

Despite feeling the burn of hunger in her stomach, Haruka's appetite was nearly nonexistent. She washed her hair quickly before getting out, changing out into one of Nishi's casual, baggy shirts before wandering out of the bathroom.

As she came out, she spotted him sitting in front of the television. He was watching intently, shoveling noodles into his mouth hastily. That was all they had eaten for the last week – ramen. And beside him sat an untouched bowl, for her.

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, she settled down beside him and slowly slurped away. Nishi waited for her well after he was finished, casting the occasional glance in her direction while he watched the news. Haruka did not pay attention to what was being reported. Apparently the media had caught wind of an incident with a collapsing street. No doubt they were all unaware of the true cause.

Once Haruka was finished eating, Nishi took her bowl from her. And even though she did not feel particularly tired, the blue-eyed girl settled down on the floor beside his bed. Curling under the comforter, her eyes fluttered shut as she reminisced about the day's adventure.

She listened to Nishi's footsteps as he passed, returning to the computer. The sound of his fingers dancing on the keys became a lullaby that eventually lulled her into sleep. The slumber she found herself in, however, was not dreamless. It was riddled with nightmares.

Not long after she had fallen asleep, she started tossing and turning noisily, panting in her sleep. From under the comforter, Nishi could see the perspiration pouring down the length of her face, contorted in anguish as she mumbled to herself.

Whatever it was that plagued her, she did not remember, even as she awoke with a start. When Haruka jerked upright, unsure of the time, she noticed Nishi was still sitting at the computer. Her startled awakening seemed to gain his attention as he peered over at her.

Haruka leaped to her feet and scrambled to the bathroom as she felt the knots in her stomach twisting so violently that she could not suppress the nausea. She barely made it to the toilet before she started emptying her dinner inside, holding her hair back with one hand. The other hand was wrapped around her abdomen as she wretched in pain.

The sound seemed to alarmed Nishi, who came to her side as she finished, reaching a trembling hand toward the knob on the toilet. While it flushed, he handed her a wet washcloth with a quiet, "Here." Hastily, she wiped the vomit from her face, still feeling unsettled. Nishi watched her, a contemplative look on his face the entire time. "Nightmares?" he asked finally.

She gave a shaky nod in confirmation as she finally regained her bearings well enough to stand. Haruka still felt sick, dizzy from getting up so suddenly and charging into the bathroom. Her eyes, blue as the surface of the ocean, peered up at him.

"Done puking?"

Another nod.

Nishi reached out and took her forearm, more gently than he had earlier, and guided her back into the main room. He pointed toward his bed as they arrived beside it. "Sleep here." Suddenly Haruka was sure that _this_ was the dream, peering back at him quizzically. "Hurry up."

Not that she really needed to be told twice. Haruka was more than happy to finally have a mattress beneath her weary body. She crawled across it tentatively. It was narrow, really only made for one person. Haruka was unsure whether he intended to sleep on the floor, though judging by his personality she assumed not. So she huddled to one corner, where Nishi folded the mattress over her.

The way he seemed to make concessions for her that he would not do for others, made Haruka feel a little uncomfortable. She questioned whether he felt some concern for her, but the expression on his face was never telling enough to give her a decisive answer. So she turned her back toward him and closed her eyes.

Nishi turned off his computer and the lights, then, just as she had guessed, crawled onto the bed beside her. When she looked over her shoulder to see him, he had his back turned to her. Neither one of them spoke another word.

Yet as they lay there together, she started thinking... The longstanding "crush" that she had harbored for him was gone, replaced by... something else. She was not sure it could be considered love. More than that, it was like a need – just like humans need water, she needed Nishi. Someone of like mind to whom she could relate. It was a dependency that she feared but simultaneously clung to. He was the only person she had.

"Nishi-kun...?" she chanced.

The covers rustled as he turned his head to glance back at her, prompting Haruka to immediately avert her gaze. Even if she tried to keep a distance, they were still close enough that she could feel her cheeks burning. "What?"

Haruka had not contemplated the words that were to follow. Love or not, she felt a need to convey what she was feeling towards him, for she knew not when she would have another opportunity... Even if this was not the ideal situation. "I know that you probably don't..." She paused for a moment. "Well, that is, you won't... Actually, I just wanted to say–"

"Spit it out."

For a moment she hesitated. "For a very long time, actually... Nishi-kun, I have liked–"

"Don't you expect to die?" It was an abrupt question that cut her off at the pivotal moment. Still, it seemed that Nishi kept his glaring eyes on her.

Disappointed that she had not been able to finish, Haruka nevertheless answered Nishi honestly. "It's not that I particularly expect to die, but I think that I probably won't be able to make it out of Gantz alive. But, that's not to say I won't get your one-hundred points, so I don't want you to think–"

"Then don't say anything."

She could not tell what he was thinking when he said that. Haruka could speculate, but somehow she had not the mind to do so.

"Go to sleep."

Still, Haruka could not let it go so simply. "Nishi-kun... If – I mean, when – I get to one-hundred points, I have something to tell you. You'll listen to me when that comes, won't you?"

"When you get to one-hundred points," he clarified, back still turned to her, "I'll listen to whatever you want to say. Now go to sleep."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> While I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I've rewritten it three times so I figured this version I am the most content with, so I should post it. I'll proofread later for any grammar/spelling mistakes, sorry if you find any. Hopefully you enjoyed. :) The relationship between Haruka and Nishi is kind of complicated, like a dependency upon one another that amounts to some worth but is not quite what you think of when you think of "love."


	12. Bloodied Hands

**Chapter Twelve ; Bloodied Hands**

It was a late night and his feet were dragging. A disgruntled, middle-aged man who had just finished working overtime – to pay the bills, to keep the roof over his head. His face was haggard as he trudged up a flight of stairs, then another, all the way to the third floor. Eyes weary and worn with exhaustion, he barely registered a shadow slipping out of sight just to the side of him.

Breathing out a sigh, he reached into his pocket to fish out his keys. He was positive they were there, somewhere. Yet he stopped halfway, his eyes widening a fraction as he tested the knob of his door. It gave under his touch, but he could have sworn that he had locked it.

And while he could not shake off his own suspicions, he still entered. There was only darkness to greet him. Naively, he assumed that he must have just forgotten to lock the door. He did not stop to consider the fact that he had never been so negligent before. In his usual paranoia, he always double-checked. But he had worked a double shift just to rake in a little extra money, so he did not have enough energy to stop and think.

"Gotta have the gas bill in by Monday," he mumbled under his breath as he nudged the door shut behind him. Then, gaze almost glued to the floor, he wandered into the main room after dropping his shoes off in the entryway.

It was there, when he flipped the light on, that he stopped. Just a short distance in front of him, standing in the middle of the room, was a hooded figure. At first he blinked rapidly – sure that it was just a part of his active imagination. But the person was _still_ there. He gulped.

"I'll call the police," he threatened hollowly. His voice arched with fear.

With slender fingers, the person reached up and pulled the hood away from their face. He blanched as he recognized the features of a young girl – blue eyes and hair dark as coal. Suddenly he knew why his door had been unlocked. Terrified, he took a stumbling step backward.

"Y-You... Y-you're..." His tongue lulled about uselessly in his mouth as he stuttered with his words, unable to coherently string a sentence together to throw at her – an excuse that would keep her from pulling a gun on him.

But she already had, aimed right at his chest, though it did not resemble any gun he had ever seen before. Then she spoke. "Masayuki Ise... right?" Not that it seemed like she really need to confirm his identity, it was his apartment, after all. "Let's play a game..."

His eyes were unfocused as he stared at her, panting heavily. The man's heart was racing, beating loudly like a drum in his ears. It made it difficult to hear her, harder to process what it was that she was saying. But he understood why she was there all too well. "W- Wait!" he tried to protest.

She ignored him. "You should be familiar with it. Cat and mouse, one chases the other. Only this time I'm the cat and you're the mouse. So I'll give you a chance to run. On the count of three, okay? One..."

"Wait a moment!" He threw his hands up defenselessly, trying to get her to calm down.

"If you don't want to die now then run. Two..."

Without wasting another moment to try and dissuade her, since he could clearly see that she was not in a position to be swayed by any manner of reason, he raced to the front door. As he managed to slip on his shoes and lurch out of the apartment, he heard her sound off the word three. The echo of her footsteps, although slow compared to his, sent adrenalin rushing through his veins. He took off toward the steps and descended them in a hurry, constantly glancing up to see whether or not she was following.

Like a phantom descended from another world, she slowly drifted out of his apartment, gun raised and finger poised to shoot. Her gaze followed him from beneath the hood that she had pulled back up over her head.

While his legs worked automatically, though in his clumsiness and haste he nearly fell several times, the man fumbled for the cell phone in his pocket. He flipped it open and tried desperately with his fat fingers to dial the emergency number, but in his desperation to escape, it fell out of his hands and then dropped through the opening between the cement stairs, plummeting down toward the ground. When it collided with the cement, it shattered, no doubt useless upon impact.

Had he not been so tired, so panicked – he might have thought to knock on a neighbor's door, to scream for help. But it was not until he reached the bottom of the stairs and the parking lot that he thought to do so. Too late by then, because he was stopped prematurely from darting over to the landlord's office when a shadowy figure stepped in front of him, blocking his path. The person had a gun, which they pointed at Masayuki.

The girl came up behind him not long after, though he was relieved that she did not fire upon the sight of him. She seemed to delight in the game, in his expression of complete and utter fear as his entire body trembled.

"Please don't kill me," he told her with blubbering lips.

"It's not fun to be cornered?" she asked innocently, though it was more than obvious that she did not care to hear his answer. "That's what you did to me. Chased me down until I could not run anymore, shot me until my legs wouldn't move, until I felt like I couldn't breathe, to the point I thought I would be dead."

Tears of desperation started forming in his eyes. "I- I'm sorry," he apologized uselessly. "I... I swear to you, I... It wasn't because I wanted to!"

The girl seemed skeptical, although his words gave her momentary pause. "What... do you mean?" She promptly shook her head. "No, you can't fool me. I know it was you. What kind of excuse are you trying to feed me?"

Still, he saw his opening in her hesitancy to completely dispel what he was saying, so he explained himself. "I know... You might not believe me, Miss... But honestly, I was threatened into it. I don't want to hurt anyone, honest."

"Don't listen to him," the other figure told her. It sounded like a boy's voice – another teenager. "Just kill him. You know you want to. Even if he didn't do it willingly, he is still the one who killed you."

His brows furrowed. "W-What? I didn't... I mean, you lived. I heard – you were in the hospital..." Overwhelmed by it all, he collapsed onto his knees, crashing down against the pavement. "P-Please... I just didn't want them to come after my family... Or to lose my job..." They were poor excuses. Even he seemed to recognize that. He slapped his hands over his face as he sobbed from the guilt, from his own fear.

"I don't want to kill him if he didn't... I mean, if he didn't orchestrate it..." Her voice trailed off momentarily.

"Stop making excuses. He killed you. Now it's his turn to die."

Despite her companion's ushering, she still hesitated. Then another question came his way. "If not you, then who? Who threatened you? If you tell me that, then I'll spare you." Although, since he planted the seed of doubt, it seemed like she might have spared him anyway.

Wet cheeks gleaming in the dim moonlight as the man peeked out from behind his hands, he said, "I don't know. I-I'm sorry... It was... All I know is that it was someone from the corporation. The message was passed to me anonymously and there was proof that my family might be endangered... That's why I... Really, I didn't mean you any harm – I didn't want to..."

"Kill him already. You heard what you needed to. Did he really seem like he didn't mean you any harm when he purposefully waited for you and chased you down? You told me about it – he showed no compassion or mercy. Quit being a hypocrite. You said you could handle this."

She paused to take a slow inhale, as though hardening herself to Masayuki's pleading. "You would not have spared me, had I said the same things... Right? And you saw me. You knew I was in high school. You waited outside for me to come. You shot me several times, saw me bleeding to death. That didn't stop you, did it? What were you thinking about? Were you thinking about how you could keep your job then? How your family would be okay? Or were you thinking about how guilty you felt as you terrorized a young teenage girl? You didn't think about that, did you?"

The barrage of questions caught him off-guard. He stuttered to respond but it was too late. The girl already knew the answer, had always known the answer. Regardless of whatever excuse he made, true or not, he was still her murderer. So she pulled the trigger after aiming the barrel at his head. There was an echo in the night, a haunting one that made his breathing stop, if only temporarily.

Then he let out sort of a dry, relieved chuckle. "Ah, so that's... Only a toy gun." But then he felt pressure welling up in his cheeks, his chin, his tongue... And his whole skull felt like it was bloating. In pain, he started writhing, letting out a short-lived scream that was prematurely cut off as his head exploded. Blood splashed across the concrete and the clothes of his two assailants – one of them _his_ murderer.

Haruka's entire arm was trembling as she lowered the gun. But even beneath the shadow cast by her hood, there was no remorse on her face. Instead a strange sense of satisfaction that she somehow believed was misplaced. If he was not the true culprit behind it all, then... She took a shaky inhale.

Nishi moved around the collapsed body and came to a stop just in front of her. He reached a hand out and yanked her hood away from her face.

Startled by the motion, she reached to pull the hood back over her face. "I-If someone sees me," she stuttered in panic, more concerned about meeting with the police than the life she had just taken. Strange for someone who had once had such strong morals. But that was what Nishi delighted in – the fact that she had let go of those in favor of her goal. The fact that the look on her face was one of sublime contentedness, not the ruefulness he might have expected.

"Good," he commended her. "Let's go."

Haruka loitered a moment, looking at the now-headless body. She felt a grim sense of accomplishment, as though she had achieved some long sought after goal. Maybe she had, in some way. It did not fully occur to her that the life she had robbed Masayuki of was also one as a father and ex-husband, son to two parents somewhere. Perhaps a brother to a sibling, as well. But maybe it had not occurred to him that she had such significance to other people when he pulled the trigger on her.

So ultimately, even Haruka could not decide where the true guilt could be placed. Was he guilty for ruthlessly chasing her down and shooting her to death? Or was she guilty for coming back from the dead, resurrected by Gantz, and hunting him down without any regard for the possibility that he might have people who cared about him, too?

It was not a black and white matter. And she found that she did not quite care who was to be blamed. Twice sinned, she realized fully that there would be no redemption for her in the end. All that mattered was ensuring that her real self – the person she was a copy of – remained unharmed, able to live a normal life. Haruka thought she could live vicariously through her counterpart that way. After all, she had already been ruined. Innocence tainted by the horrors of Gantz, personality molded by an empty childhood, twisted by terrible experiences as well as Nishi's influence.

She pivoted, sprinting to chase down Nishi and match his pace. They were two dark shadows meandering through the night, unnoticed and forgotten by anyone who seemed to pass them by. The splotches of blood splashed over them were masked, hidden by the black clothing they were wearing. And even if it caught someone's eye by chance, apathy persuaded them to pass off the sight as cosplay.

When they got back to the apartment, sneaking in as stealthily as they could – if only to avoid prying eyes – Nishi immediately ordered Haruka to change wardrobe. He had been gleeful all night, in the best mood she had ever seen. He seemed to delight in the bloodshed, the suspense, and the excitement. For whatever feelings she did have for him, she did not understand him. Even if, subconsciously, she could relate to him.

It was strange how calm – eerie even – that she felt after the murder. She kept raking through the image in her mind, the feeling of the gun in her hand and the trigger as she pulled it. But it did not register as reality. Perhaps a psychological defense mechanism that made her almost blissfully unaware of how terrible a deed she had committed.

Nishi did not take a jab at her for it, though. He just watched her from his computer chair after he had gotten changed... Watched as she went into the kitchen and made them some rice balls to eat. When they sat together in front of the television, listening to the latest news, he kept his eyes glued to her.

It was a strange feeling.

And then came the question that had been lingering on her mind for a while. "What if... He was not just making excuses? What if there is someone else out there that ordered him to come after me? With the few clues that he gave, it's not really enough to go on to know who could–"

"Lure them out," he said in between bites.

Although he acted like it was simple, Haruka knew only one way to lure them out. And she had no intention of putting her real self in danger. "That defeats the purpose," she complained to Nishi in little more than a murmur, not quite wanting to voice her disagreement with him. "If she ended up getting hurt... Unless you mean me?"

"Both," Nishi answered vaguely, and then clarified, "Use Koizumi to lure them out. Take her place once you have confirmed someone is after her and capture or kill them." As he finished eating, he kept his eyes focused on the television, not even pausing to look over at her and evaluate her facial expression.

"That makes sense," Haruka agreed at last. "But there's a core problem... Luring her out to begin with. I can't approach her, she'd be too shocked and scared."

He sighed to himself, as though frustrated that she could not think of the solution as quickly as he could. "I'll approach her." It was obvious though – Nishi had already agreed to help her. It made sense for him to be part of the plan.

"And?" Haruka prompted him, perhaps not purely out of concern but curiosity instead.

Glancing at her sidelong, he said, "You have rice stuck to the side of your face."

Flustered by the comment, she hurried wiped at her cheek to remove it, embarrassed to be seen in such a state. But while her cheeks flushed slightly when he mentioned it, they burned like wildfire when he lifted his hand and pinched the small grain of white rice in between his fingers, lifting it away from the corner of her lips.

"I'll ask her to go out with me."

She immediately assumed that the phrase had a different meaning. "W-what? You can't... The two of you, together... In a relationship..." Haruka almost felt dizzy thinking about it.

Disgruntled by her misinterpretation, he jammed the piece of rice against her forehead where it stuck like adhesive. "Going out after school somewhere. Or did you misunderstand something so simple?" There he was, taking a jab at her again. "Don't over think it, I'm not interested in Koizumi."

Although it almost sounded like he was trying to reassure her, it did little to lift Haruka's spirits. While on one hand she felt a sting of jealousy at the thought of the two of them forming some kind of close relationship, she also felt a little disheartened by his comment. It was almost like an offhanded way of saying that he was not interested in her, either. On one hand she was the same as the Haruka Koizumi who attended school with Nishi, oblivious to the world of Gantz. On the other she was like the other side of the coin, a darkness to the light of her innocent counterpart.

Either way, when Haruka took a moment to think about it, peeling the rice from her forehead, it was silly. That she still entertained having a crush on Nishi in the midst of her goal and all the bloodshed, but she supposed it was in her nature to be foolish. Whether she had overcome the weakness of hypocrisy, no longer clinging to the morals that once bound her, she was still Haruka. A person governed not by pragmatic thinking but by the whims of the heart.

"Or did you mean," Nishi said suddenly, interrupting her thoughts, "That she wouldn't agree to it?"

She eyed him quizzically, as though unsure where that question came from. But Haruka knew well enough from when she was in school that Nishi had been the target of most of the bullies for some time. He was the butt of all of their jokes and harassment, although for the past few months prior to her murder, Haruka remembered his personality had taken an abrupt change. (No doubt from being subjected to the horrors of Gantz as well.)

Nishi probably thought that her protests were because she thought rumors might fly about him and Koizumi, thereby damaging her reputation. And although he normally seemed pretty apathetic toward everything, he seemed somewhat disconcerted by her adamant objections.

"No," Haruka whispered, still unsure about this plan. "If you ask her, she'll definitely agree."

His eyes narrowed at her, perhaps because he was skeptical. Yet his words betrayed his expression, "Then tomorrow we should start on it."

It was decidedly the only option they had. Drawing Koizumi out into the open would no doubt lure those watching her like hawks for a new opportunity to off her. Her guards had probably doubled since the attempted murder, leaving little openings during the weekdays.

"So you'll ask her tomorrow and set it up for this weekend?" she clarified. "Normally my grandfather would probably say no, but she'll probably force the issue since it's you..." As soon as Haruka realized what she was saying – like an indirect confession – she clamped her lips shut.

"We'll have to shake off her guards after you take her place." He ignored what she had said, as though he had not even noticed. And Haruka hoped that he hadn't.

They mapped out their plan together, sorting out the necessary details – even those that seemed insignificant. Haruka would switch with her other self, thereby ensuring that she was the only one in danger. Then she and Nishi would lure out opposition. Even though the person behind it probably would not be among them, they hoped to be able to gather enough information to get a lead as to who could really be behind killing Haruka.

That night was particularly restless for Haruka. Since her issues with nausea, Nishi had been content to allow her to sleep on the bed with him – extremely awkward for her normally, although she was far too preoccupied this time to be conscious of the thought that he was next to her. In her head, she played over the scene of that man's head exploding. It filled her with a sense of satisfaction but an even greater sense of dread. The deed hung over her like a dark cloud, even though she tried her best to deny any guilt.

Finally, as though her ceaseless tossing and turning had at last grated on his last nerve, Nishi turned and snapped at her, "Sleep on the floor if you won't stop." It quieted her immediately as she muttered a humble apology that he only ignored in turn.

Eventually she drifted off. Being beside Nishi seemed to quell the nightmares, at least to some degree. She woke up several times but found sleep once again without too much difficulty. By morning, when Nishi was getting ready for school, Haruka did not feel as refreshed as she might have liked. Nonetheless, she dressed herself – the Gantz suit beneath some clothes that she had borrowed from Nishi.

She was to follow him to school, lingering far enough behind to be little more than a shadow, just to confirm whether or not any suspicious figures were trailing after her other half. The words of that man seemed true enough – he had little to benefit from her death. Most likely, it was one of the company's major shareholders that was after her, hoping to cut off the only obstacle between himself and becoming CEO in place of her grandfather when he died.

On the way to school, shortly after they left the apartment, Haruka trailed Nishi closely. She would put some more distance between them when they were closer. As they walked, their footsteps fell in sync and she lagged only a few paces behind.

"Scared?"

She contemplated it for a moment. "No, I don't think I am. Just anxious."

Those were the only words spoken between them before they continued on their way. When they arrived they were separated by a large gap. Nishi headed through the front gates, leaving Haruka behind for her own task. Before he entered the courtyard, he spotted the other Haruka – Koizumi, as he called her – pulling up in her grandfather's limousine.

Rather than loitering in the open for her, he proceeded to the lockers, pausing in front of his to exchange his shoes. It was there that he stopped to wait, peering sidelong out of the front doors. She was being accompanied by two bodyguards, less than he would have expected – but, all things considered, the school was probably fairly safe. Not the preferable place for someone after her life, not when they had intended to do the deed secretly.

When she entered, Haruka waved the two tall, darkly dressed men off. She said something to them, although Nishi was too far out of earshot to hear what it was. After that, she proceeded with her head lowered. There were dark circles under her eyes. The bullying since she had returned had probably taken a toll on her.

And unsurprisingly, when she stopped at her footlocker, she breathed a sigh. Since her body was blocking the view of it, Nishi could not be sure why. Garbage, he assumed, had been stuffed in there. Or otherwise the shoes had been stolen. He had experienced something similar before.

"Koizumi," he addressed her, pivoting away from his own locker, slamming it shut in the process.

She stiffened upon hearing his voice, but when she turned to see him, there was a look of relief on her face. Her cheeks turned a little rosy as she shakily answered his call, "Y-yes, Nishi-kun?"

It was strange to hear her voice, more high-pitched and softer than the Haruka he knew. Perhaps because what differentiated them was their experiences. Regardless, he posed his intended question as she nervously averted her eyes. "This weekend... Go somewhere with me." It was more of a command and less of a request than it should have been, but Nishi was not one for tact.

It took a moment for his words to register with her, and her face turned an even brighter shade of red. "Ah... I, um... This weekend..." While she was busy mumbling to herself, a few people passed them by, her name carried in their whispers, followed shortly by several derisive chuckles. Haruka bowed her head and frowned. "I... can't. Sorry."

The stone-faced Nishi revealed no manner of surprise, although he had not anticipated a rejection after hearing Haruka's assurance the night before – though it was perhaps in his cynical nature that he had given some expectation that Koizumi would not want to be seen with him.

But then she added, "If you were seen with me... People might think badly of you... S-so..."

He sighed. Haruka and Koizumi were definitely one in the same. "Doesn't matter. I'll meet you Saturday, in the morning. Your house." After clearing that up, he stalked off without another word, hands stuffed into his pockets.

"W-wait!" she called after him, though he gave no pause to hear her out. "Do you even know where my house is...?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I like the question of morality posed in here - who is wrong and who is right? Is there a right and wrong? Can we be unbiased in judging that? As you can tell I am highly philosophical and considering my major is Psychology... Well, anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed. Trying to speed up Haruka's development. It was gradual at first, but having passed the point of no return now, it can only get worse. Once a person can justify killing, especially someone like Haruka, there is nothing stopping them from completely betraying everything they once believed in. Recently saw a good example of this in a show I was watching. Ironic how Haruka is much the same.


	13. Switch Up

**Chapter Thirteen ; Switch Up**

Sunlight was streaming through the cracks through of a tree, shining right into her eyes. It was momentarily blinding and she had to lift a hand to shield herself from it. Yet just as she did that, a shadow was cast over her. Koizumi slowly dropped her hand back to her side and smiled meekly to herself as she recognized Nishi's silhouette.

"W-was the line very long...?" she stumbled with her words, gaze drifting down to the drink he was holding in his hand.

The sound of the chattering crowds was deafening; especially coupled with screaming as people zoomed around on various amusement park rides. It was probably the last place that someone like Nishi would ever want to be caught dead in. Yet it was the perfect setting when taking into consideration their plan.

Still, the platoon of glaring bodyguards constantly on Koizumi's heels were nothing short of annoying. Particularly because they drew curious, probing glances – something Nishi was particularly uncomfortable with and unaccustomed to.

"No." After a long pause, Nishi only gave Koizumi a short reply before passing the beverage over to her. It had been her request, not that he understood it in the least. They had barely arrived at the park and she seemed to be acting even more peculiar than usual. In fact, she proved to be far less predictable and understandable than her counterpart – the _other_ Haruka, that is.

As a person she was not particularly interesting, yet taking into account that Koizumi represented a Haruka that had never seen the horrors of Gantz, even Nishi could not deny that it piqued his curiosity. Perhaps it reminded him of who he had been prior to Gantz. Or maybe it was his desire to better understand Gantz in itself, for his own advantageous gain. Then again, it could have been something else entirely. His reasons were his own and typically unspoken and unexpressed.

Whatever the case, he exercised some tolerance for Koizumi's unusual antics. When they resumed walking together again, she stayed close to him, bumping into his arm a few time. Her cheeks were also particularly flushed, which he noticed only because he caught her staring at him several times. That expectant gaze of hers was especially unnerving. Maybe because he did not entirely understand what it was that she was expecting from him.

This was – he knew – an activity that most "normal" people partook in. This dating thing, that is. He failed to see the appeal. The noise was headache inducing, the rides were mild compared to the adrenalin rushes he had experienced while on the hunt in Gantz. In fact, the roller coaster that Koizumi coaxed him on – thinking that he would enjoy it – was yawn-worthy. And he had to deal with her nearly blowing out his ear drums the entire time. Aside from how nauseous she was thereafter, about ready to spill her guts out right as they stepped off the platform.

After exiting another particularly boring ride, Nishi paused briefly to check the time on his watch. It had been approximately an hour and a half since they had entered the park. He had confirmed a meeting with Haruka in front of the Ferris Wheel, where their plan would finally kick into action.

Meanwhile he had been biding time, waiting for her to scout the area and make necessary preparations. This was all going to be worth it in the end. Or at least, it had certainly better, considering the patience he had sacrificed in pursuit of assisting her.

"Do you have to be somewhere later?" Koizumi inquired in a reserved voice, looking a little disheartened at his constant appraisal of the time.

Nishi lowered his arm back to his side, finally peeling his gaze away from the face of his watch. "Not really..." Even the tone of his voice revealed his boredom; he was not the least bit of a convincing actor. And Koizumi could read into his lack of interest. For her, it was extremely disappointing.

"If... If you want to go ahead and go–"

Before she could finish, he interrupted her. "The Ferris wheel..."

Startled by his mention of it, Koizumi was quick to clarify in a fumbled gasp, "Y-you... want to go on it?"

He wanted to honestly answer with a firm and resounding no, but he managed to force out a wordless nod. It was enough to instill some hope in Koizumi who was soon beaming, their previous exchange quickly forgotten. The two walked in unison, although Koizumi had a more chipper beat to her step, and maneuvered through the crowd toward the famous attraction. A long line had surely formed a while ago and Nishi grudgingly anticipated the wait that was to come.

Mingling amongst the crowd and watching was Haruka herself, hidden away by the hood of a light jacket. It did enough to cast a shadow over her face. Beneath it, she wore a haggard expression that probably carried no resemblance to her former self.

She watched them with envious eyes, trailing just far enough behind to go unnoticed but close enough to pick up snippets of their short conversation. It consisted mostly of Koizumi's intermittent babbling and Nishi's occasional, one syllable responses. Haruka tried to quell the burning jealousy by reminding herself that she was nothing more than a phantom.

In fact, she tried to convince herself that she was happy watching the two of them. Regardless of Nishi's lack of enthusiasm, this was something that she had fervently wished for before she died. An opportunity to spend just one day with the person for whom she harbored feelings. Such a dream had come true and, she reasoned, there was no purpose in being bitter that the original of the two of them was the one to live it out.

"Hey, look, it's Koizumi and creepy."

Hearing her own surname startled her and she froze mid-step, belatedly realizing that it was her other self who had been called out. Haruka kept herself hidden behind the flow of the crowd while maintaining a vigilant watch on what was transpiring.

Nishi and Koizumi had been stopped by a throng of classmates, who Haruka recognized as old acquaintances. Yet, judging by their general dispositions, their business with the couple was certainly not benevolent. Haruka tightened her grip on the gun in her pocket, ready to whip it out at the first sign of a confrontation between them.

"You two a couple now?" one of the guys asked, wearing a smug grin on his face.

Nishi regarded their small group as nothing more than insects. He cocked his head back and slipped his hand into his pocket, no doubt reaching for his own gun, just in case. But before he could take any action, Koizumi stepped out in front of him with her arms spread wide.

"P-please don't cause trouble for us. I... I'm here on a date with Nishi-kun so–"

The pathetic response that she offered them was laughable and even Haruka had to grimace at the awkward chuckles that her classmates gave Koizumi. "Whoa, don't get too jumpy. Looks like you got some of your daddy's goons watching out for you."

At the mention of it, the dark-suited men stepped forward as though to intercept any trouble that the classmates might intend to cause. Their swift intervention was quick to break up any potential confrontation. And as their classmates walked away, Haruka noticed that Nishi seemed to relax – finally removing his hand from his pocket.

While Koizumi and Nishi proceeded as though the encounter was meaningless, Haruka lingered behind with her hand still poised at the trigger. There was something in her, just itching to take out the group of her former classmates. For a split second, she could even inwardly visualize their blood splattering across the concrete. And while it should have bothered her that such a thought even occurred, she was more disturbed by the fact that it did _not_ bother her.

Haruka dropped her hand out of her pocket and slipped out from the shadows. She was seething with anger; a feeling she was utterly unaccustomed to. And while the bloodlust lingered, she ignored it in favor of a more productive approach.

"Hey." There was something to her voice, a forcefulness that she had never recognized in herself before. Perhaps it stemmed from how livid she felt.

Whatever the cause for her newfound confidence, if it could be called that, the small group paused. While the two girls seemed intent to ignore Haruka's intrusion, the two guys did not. They regarded Haruka with a sort of smug mirth, as though they found her presence little more than laughable. No doubt they did not recognize her voice as the girl's they had bullied just moments ago.

"What? Did you need something?"

She peeked out at them from beneath the darkness of her hood. They were two people she recognized well enough – former acquaintances that she had never really engaged in any real conversation. At least not with any depth. Nonetheless, their sudden hostility was revealing... Obviously something had happened at the school that she was entirely unaware of. Something had... changed... that Nishi had not alerted her about.

"Koizumi – why were you bothering her?"

"What's it to you?"

The hands resting at her side gradually curled into tight fists. "Answer me." Any patience that she had was slowly beginning to be replaced by intolerance. She did not want to wait and hear what they had to say. It was the anger – burning, curling in the pit of her stomach like a venomous snake.

Naturally, given her small stature and lithe figure – even thinner now than it had been before – she was not the least bit intimidating. They could tell by the tone of her voice that she was female. Their mocking laughter made it obvious that they did not take her threatening tone very seriously.

"Or else what? That little whore–"

In that split second that she heard that word – it tore through her like a sharp claw. The throbbing pain started in her chest but flared all the way down to her stomach, exacerbating her growing nausea. Her vision flashed red and before she even realized what she was doing. In a flash Haruka had charged forward and caught one of the boys by the throat. It was the suit which gave her such impressive strength.

Her gloved fingers dug into his skin as he sputtered and choked. It was strangely... exhilarating. Delightful. Haruka grinned wryly at the feeling, although the expression was quickly wiped away as she became more cognizant of what it was that she was doing.

Attacking someone in broad daylight?

Although her first instinct was to yank away, Haruka kept the pressure on his neck while she spoke in a low voice. "Stay away from Koizumi. If you don't, I..." For a moment her voice trailed off, as though she was trying to reinforce her confidence in the threat she was about to make. "I will kill you." Given how she could feel her whole body trembling and her voice no doubt cracked under the weight of those words, they probably thought she was bluffing. Regardless, her display had done enough to catch some attention and Haruka was forced to relinquish her grip.

"Y-you bitch!" he gasped out as he stumbled away from her.

Having so many eyes on her was unnerving, and furthermore unproductive given what her mission was supposed to be. She could not compromise it by lingering around and trying to enforce such a threat. Haruka hastily retreated, much to the smug satisfaction of the two boys calling obscenities from behind her receding figure.

Haruka felt her breathing increase rapidly as she hurried to immerse herself in the safety of the bustling crowd, where she would not be pursued. It took some time for her to regain her composure and sort the rush of thoughts that suddenly assaulted her. And it took her several minutes to realize that she had to hurry, lest the plan be further compromised by her negligence of the time.

She was like a ghost moving through the crowd, easily maneuvering between the irregular density waves, pushing past the lines of clustered bodies. Even still, it took her a bit to finally arrive at the line to the Ferris Wheel, where Nishi and Koizumi had headed off to.

Scanning the bustling line of forward-moving people, she at last spotted them. Koizumi was antsy, eyes averted from Nishi, who seemed entirely bored by the situation. No doubt he was waiting for Haruka to make her move.

It proved easy enough as Haruka locked her sights on Koizumi and bee-lined directly toward her. The nervous, giddy girl did not even notice the approach of a stranger. At least not until Haruka purposefully bulldozed right between Koizumi and Nishi, effectively sending the girl stumbling. The beverage sloshed right out of the cup and across the front of Koizumi's dress and she let out a small, yet shrill shriek.

Haruka did not pause to feign concern, lest it arouse Koizumi's suspicions about her identity. She knew herself well enough that she did not have to linger and watch Koizumi's actions, either. Haruka already knew what she would do.

Just as Haruka anticipated; Koizumi was completely distraught over the mess and almost entirely covered in soda. She was quick to excuse herself from the line, assuring Nishi she would be right back after cleaning herself up.

After locating the nearest bathroom, Haruka hid herself in one of the stalls. The wait and the anticipation was more overwhelming than she had imagined. She could feel – even hear – her own pulse, beating rapidly.

When, finally, she heard an echo of footsteps, she peeked out from the bottom of the stall. There was a great wave of relief that swept over her as she recognized the shoes that Koizumi had been wearing earlier. Good – everything was still going according to plan. Things would work out. She tried to maintain this optimism.

While Koizumi turned on the faucet and started trying to clean up the mess, Haruka pulled the gun from her pocket and slowly cracked the stall door open. She was able to take a few steps before Koizumi peered up into the mirror and noticed her reflection.

"Who are–"

Before she could finish that sentence and possibly arouse suspicion of the two guards waiting outside, Haruka lunged forward and clocked her counterpart over the head with the back of her gun. There was a resounding thud that was louder than she had anticipated, but it succeeded in effectively rendering Koizumi unconscious.

The other girl collapsed in a heap that Haruka was barely able to catch in time before Koizumi's body almost hit the ground. It was only thanks to the strength of the Gantz suit that she was wearing beneath her clothes that she was able to lift the limp body and carry it into the handicap stall in the far corner, giving her just enough room to maneuver.

There was one problematic component that she had not counted on – the attire that Koizumi had dressed herself in. Far more revealing, at least in terms of the fact that Haruka would have to to remove her Gantz suit. But that was not something she had accounted for.

Time was ticking, however, and she had no time to debate anything in her head. She threw the dufflebag she had been carrying with her to the ground and hastily unzipped it, pulling out rope and duct tape – the two things needed to keep Koizumi quiet and out of harms way. At least for a little while.

When she emerged from the stall, dufflebag thrown over her shoulder, Haruka made a passing glance toward the mirror to briefly observe her reflection. As expected – she felt almost naked without her Gantz suit. It was like armor for her, granting her strength she had never experienced before and sense of security that she needed, given how vulnerable she felt. A dress like this was not particularly revealing and yet it left her feeling... exposed. Unprotected.

Her appearance was the perfect mirror image to Koizumi's – of course, since she was a copy – but there was just one thing missing. One thing that she hoped the bodyguards would overlook. Beyond the sudden, curious appearance of the dufflebag hanging off her shoulder, there were dark circles beneath her eyes and grim expression that, try as she might, could not be absolved.

Regardless of any suspicions she might arouse, Haruka marched out of the restroom purposefully. The guards gave her a critical once-over, but if they were the least bit curious, it was hidden beneath those dark sun glasses and austere expressions.

They fell in line behind her as she maneuvered back through the crowd and to Nishi, who was still holding their place in line. Her entire body was trembling in anticipation – fear mixed with anxiety. Haruka paused for a quick, sharp inhale as she came to a stop beside her partner.

He gave her a flitting glance before returning his gaze to the ride they were about to board. Apparently in that one moment, he managed to deduce that they had swapped places successfully. "How many?" The question was inherently vague but she could easily guess what it was that he was referring to.

"It looks like five, two vehicles." The two of them spoke in reference to her pursuers, keeping a look out for an opening. No doubt they were waiting for an opportunity. It was Haruka's job to track them up until the swap, so that they would be prepared. "Have you decided where we should–" The sentence was abruptly cut off as they clambered up the stairs to the ushering of the operator, who guided them into a Ferris wheel gondola.

They took each took a seat adjacent to the other, and as the cab was closed up, Haruka could feel her heart pounding. It was no time for her to entertain any ideas beyond the mission but she nevertheless felt the palpitations in her chest.

When the ride jerked into motion and they started lifting upward, Nishi granted her a response. "Somewhere isolated, somewhere they will feel comfortable striking. If you scouted the park like you were supposed to, you should already know."

"We have to lose the bodyguards first."

Her insistence on leaving out "innocents" caught his attention as he stared over at her scornfully. "Why? After you have already killed someone you're starting to feel guilt? Mercy? Are you getting soft now? Don't waste your time with that garbage. The more you distract yourself with pity, the more likely you are to fuck up any chance you have at ending this properly." No doubt there were more stinging admonishments sitting at the tip of his tongue, just waiting to be spoken. He seemed particularly annoyed that Haruka was not more focused on just completing this the way it needed to be done, concerning herself instead with unimportant nuances.

"It's exactly because I killed someone that I..."

"If you're going to be a hypocrite then I have no interest in helping you."

Maybe he said that, in part, for her own sake. Worrying unnecessarily about the lives of the bodyguards could potentially compromise their entire setup. So despite Haruka's inclination to resist and argue, she settled back in her seat and silently looked out the window. This was not at all what she had pictured in her dreams, when she had fantasized about having a "date."

As they reached the top of the ride, it paused. From this vantage point, Haruka could observe the entire park. From such a height, all of the people below looked like little more than scattered ants, meandering aimlessly in strange patterns. She pressed her hand against the glass, fingers splaying across it.

Despite the rarity of the occasion, Nishi did not share Haruka's wistful regard. He had his arms crossed firmly over his chest, staring at her with his usual blank look. If anything, he seemed contemplative, but there was no indication that he derived any manner of enjoyment from coming to the park.

And perhaps it was Haruka's oversight of that fact that led her to spring an offhanded question. "Have you ever been here before?" Although she was trying to be conversational, he seemed to ignore the inquiry. She assumed he dismissed it as annoying. No doubt that he saw little point in partaking in chatter that did not, in some way, benefit their "mission."

Yet, just as she settled back into silently staring out the window and reminiscing about the last time she had been here – with her friends – he suddenly spoke. "Once." It was just one word but still more than she would have expected.

"Really?" Haruka could barely keep a lid on her curiosity. "With who?"

His gaze averted to the outside and again it seemed like he would not answer. They spent what felt like forever in pure silence, until the ride jolted back into motion again. Slowly, they were taken back toward the ground before being lifted through the air once more.

It was a painstaking slow cycle in which the silence was nearly suffocating. Perhaps it was because of the myriad of worries that seemed to be running through her mind, like bees in a hive. She could not quell any of them. It was just her nature to run over the best and worst case scenarios. The former set her at ease while the latter sent her into a panic.

The disquiet in her heart was enough to make her anxious to facilitate more conversation. Anything to take her mind off of her unfounded concerns. Although Nishi seemed none too keen on obliging her.

"I have..." her voice cracked as she stumbled over her own words. Haruka quickly cleared her throat and continued. "Me, too. I have been here before... Once. With friends."

It would have been enough for him to ignore her, but Nishi was particularly inclined to drive home how disinterested he was by stating it. "If you were going to chatter the whole time, maybe we should have picked another roller coaster."

_Point taken,_ she thought to herself. Had it been her other self – Koizumi, that is – she would have been upset about Nishi's reaction. But Haruka had grown used to his snarky responses and snappy comebacks. Enough that she gave up on any further attempts to engage him in an exchange of words.

When the Ferris wheel came to a stop next, it was their turn to disembark. Waiting at the bottom of the ride were both of Haruka's bodyguards. Haruka gave them each a brief glance, a critical once-over. Despite Nishi being dismissive about her concerns of involving them, she knew they both probably had family. Maybe not children or a significant other, but surely parents that loved them. Parents that Haruka did not have. That was reason enough – where it was not for Masayuki, the man who had originally attempted to kill her – not to put them in harm's way.

So in a split second decision, she reached her hand over and grabbed Nishi's wrist. "There's somewhere over here that I want to go," she confided in the most upbeat and cheerful tone she could possibly muster. No doubt it was over-acted and the bodyguards probably thought she was behaving peculiarly. Still they followed after her as she quite literally dragged Nishi to the entrance of a funhouse.

He glowered at her indignantly, obviously not feeling the least bit compliant about her request. "I won't–" Nishi started to speak, no doubt in protest, but Haruka would not hear it. She was desperate.

"Come on, it will be fun!"

"It isn't–"

Again he was most certainly trying to dissuade her but Haruka would not hear it. If he wanted to stand outside and wait, she would pull the bodyguards in to follow her and lose them in there somehow. It had nothing to do with guilt, nothing to do with morals. All she knew was that she did not want to unnecessarily put their lives at risk. Even if they had signed up, well knowing the possible danger and consequences.

Amidst the small crowd of people filing inside, Haruka lost her grip on Nishi's wrist. She did not peer back to see if he was still following after her. Even without him, the bodyguards would follow. _Especially_ without him.

But amidst the louder banter of the other people that she was pushing past, she thought she heard Nishi calling her name. Nonsense, she thought, because he rarely ever addressed her. It would not matter even if she genuinely believed he was trying to call her back. About this one thing, Haruka insisted on being stubborn.

When she first entered, the crowd kept her forward-moving with few stops to even try and see if her bodyguards had followed her in. Still, Haruka was confident that they had given chase when she had hastily entered by herself.

Eventually the groups of densely packed people began to thin out as she maneuvered through the maze. In Haruka's attempt to throw off any pursuit, she was fairly sure she got lost herself. In her preoccupation with rushing through the funhouse, taking odd corners and turns, she scarcely noticed that she had moved so far away from the main stream of people that she was completely alone. At least not until the noise of the crowd became muffled to the point that all she could hear was the echo of her own footsteps.

_Success_, was her first triumphant thought, as she assumed that she had managed to lose them after all. Now all she had to do was work her way through the end. Worst case scenario, she could blow a hole open and escape herself.

_No, that would just cause unnecessary attention. Although maybe a diversion could be a good opportunity..._

Her inner thoughts trailed off as she stopped in front of a mirror to see her distorted reflection. It was strange, though – not distorted at all. A regular mirror? Odd, considering a funhouse was usually full of oddly shaped mirrors designed to amuse and entertain. Maybe this one was installed to mess with the mind?

A smile curled up on her lips as she reached out to touch her own face – or the reflection of her face. But then she heard something behind her. A... clicking sound? It had been mostly quiet before and yet that noise reverberated around her like a pin drop amidst dead silence.

She turned slowly, only to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun. And to her horror, a familiar face.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Extremely late, I know. Happy holidays to everyone, whatever the tradition you celebrate, I hope it was a good one. :) I have, unfortunately, been sick for the past week. Hence not posting sooner. And my computer being in the shop again. I hope this chapter has not suffered on quality because of that. Hopefully you enjoyed it and look forward to the next coming much sooner!


	14. Morality

**Chapter 14 ; Morality**

There was a blur – a moment where all Haruka could take in was the visage of a familiar face, then a barrel staring down at her. Her ears could barely register the cocking of the gun, or the trigger as it was being pressed down upon.

Death was coming. It was not the first time she had been in this position. But the shock left her disadvantaged to even try and counter what was coming. Instead she was left frozen, waiting for the inevitable.

Yet the sensation of numbing fear never came over her. She felt calm – almost serene. This was anticlimactic compared to the excitement of being in Gantz. Fighting for her life there had dulled her to the reality of the world she had grown up in.

While she anticipated the sound of the gunshot just a split second before the bullet pierced through her head, it never came. Instead she watched as the man's familiar face gradually swelled. It seemed as equally confusing to him as he suddenly dropped his handgun in favor of reaching toward his face. But it was too late – his skull burst and blood splattered across Haruka's face.

The sound of the body collapsing against the floor with a loud thump finally startled her back into motion. Haruka's head jerked, looking for the source that had saved her – but she already knew who to expect.

"Nishi-kun."

There was a muffled crackling sound as the invisibility completely wore off and he stood full visible just a short distance away. The expression on his face was a somber one, just as she would have expected. But the pointed glare that she received told her that he was not particularly pleased with the turn of events. Yet the fact that he had saved her still stood.

Saying "thank you" seemed a little unnecessary. She had already said as much to him many times, and considering the way he was looking at her – Haruka figured that skipping out on any display of gratitude was probably advisable.

"Koizumi got loose," he told her finally, sheathing his weapon back into his pocket.

This revelation sent Haruka into a bit of a panic. "We have to find her." Although her legs felt more like noodles than appendages meant to carry her from one point to another. In fact, just seconds after she spoke so determinedly, her knees gave out from under her. Perhaps it was the thick liquid smeared across her face, still warm, that left her feeling so unsettled. Her stomach was churning, knotted.

Nishi seemed to regard her with some measure of disdain, that she could not hold up better under the pressure. The stakes were too high for her to become queasy just from one dead body, or to give up in the face of mounting odds.

Swallowing back her reservations, Haruka pushed herself back onto her trembling legs. Maybe what was really affecting her was the fear that she would be able to do nothing for Koizumi after all. Her mind was already piecing together this new tidbit of information. The fact that she had been able to recognize the face of the man who was about to shoot her was unsettling.

"Who was it?" Nishi asked, as though he could read her mind.

"That was... one of my aunt's bodyguards," she answered him hollowly. Haruka was in disbelief, although she could not convey as much to Nishi. He would not even begin to understand how much she had always valued her aunt. The woman had raised Haruka as her own. So it was impossible – or just a coincidence – either way, Haruka was not even willing to entertain the idea that her aunt was behind everything.

For a long moment, Nishi seemed to study her expression. Then he said, "Abandon it today." It seemed a foreign advisement from him, considering he seemed more likely to press her to finish things regardless of how it affected her. But maybe he knew that she was in no condition to confront the situation if it turned out to be the worst case scenario.

However, Haruka had different feelings on the matter. "I can't. She's in danger right now. We have to at least make sure she gets home safe. We have to find her."

"I lost her in the crowd," Nishi responded dismissively, almost snapping at her in his annoyance. He seemed all too content to let Koizumi face the possibility of death.

Despite his attempts at dissuasion, Haruka would not be swayed. "We can split up and search for her. Just make sure nothing happens to her. In the process we might be able to eliminate whoever is after her or find out some more information. We can't waste any more time–"

"Put on your Gantz suit before you leave." Those were the only words he said to her as he spun around on the heel of his shoe and started out through the maze of the funhouse. Haruka was not even sure, judging by his reaction, whether or not he even had any intention of helping her or if he was just giving up and leaving.

Yet she had every bit of faith that Nishi wouldn't abandon her, even if she knew he was perfectly capable of doing so. Given her situation, she could do little more than hope that he would follow through on helping her protect Koizumi.

Unzipping the dufflebag that she had continued carrying with her, even through her meanderings through the funhouse, Haruka hastily started changing. The dress she was wearing was caked in blood and completely discolored by the crimson color. It was replaced by the tight-fitting, sleek black suit that would provide her with any necessary physical strength to overpower the people going after Koizumi – and to speed up her search.

There was still a splattering of dried blood across her face, and try as she might to furiously rub it off, there was still residue left behind. Perhaps just enough to pass off as smeared make-up or paint from one of the various entertainment stands that colored masks on people's faces.

Stepping out into the chaos outside, Haruka's ears were bombarded by the cacophony of footsteps as people flooded in and out of the funhouse. People meandered about blithely, blissfully ignorant of the dead body just inside. Haruka was not sure how long that scene would remain unnoticed. The longer, the better – because if some kind of disruption ensued, she knew it would be the perfect opportunity for her assailants to pick off Koizumi.

The danger was heightened for her as well. Given that she no longer had a hoodie to cover her face and that her attire did little to blend in with the crowd, it would be easy for her opponent to spot her. The disadvantage should have made her feel insecure, but instead it granted her a rush of adrenalin akin to what she felt when she participated in Gantz. It was a high that she almost found herself enjoying.

Maneuvering through the crowd proved particularly easy, but trying to find anything within it was the difficult part. Haruka was not even quite sure where she could begin searching for her other half. Since the two of them were one in the same, it seemed only logical that Haruka would have a good idea where to start searching. However, perhaps it was because Gantz had brought her so far out of touch with who she used to be, but regardless, Haruka could not even hazard a guess that she felt confident in.

Picking up the speed, she darted quickly and mostly unnoticed through the clusters of people, some waiting in line and others wandering aimlessly through the park. Her first destination was the main exit of the park. Even if she moved as fast as her Gantz suit would allow her – which would garner much unwanted attention – she was not sure she could make it in time if Koizumi had already intended to leave. But part of Haruka had faith that Koizumi would be worriedly searching the park to at least check on Nishi's well-being.

Picking an inconspicuous spot among the shadows where she could keep herself primarily unnoticed, Haruka lingered near the main exit of the park for several minutes. Her eyes scanned the faces of those departing, but she did not recognize any of them. Neither Koizumi nor one of her bodyguards.

Hoping that Nishi was having better luck than she was, Haruka returned to searching the park. Figuring out the next place to check was not very difficult – the security center of the park. Haruka thought that, perhaps in her fear, Koizumi would decide to take refuge there and have security locate both her bodyguards and Nishi.

Although not a farfetched idea, Haruka second guessed herself. Panic mingled with a sense of urgency as she peeled away from the shadows to push through the people, making her way to the makeshift security office at the far edge of the amusement park.

In the meantime, while the day had been forecast as sunny without any rain, the sky had begun to cloud over. The beautiful canvas blue was smeared with ominous shades of gray, impending themselves above those enjoying their day at the park. If it was bad enough that time was not on Haruka's side, it seemed the weather would not be, either.

As she approached the dilapidated building with the crooked, paint-chipped sign that read 'Park Security,' Haruka spotted the door swinging open. She jolted back and raced for the closest spot that she could hide herself. In the end she found herself peering over the top of a particularly pungent trash can.

What she spotted was nothing more than a security guard, no doubt out to make rounds or answer to a complaint that was called in. Perhaps it was foolish for Haruka to hope that Koizumi would pop out so suddenly, but her anxiety left her feeling desperate.

With a renewed sense of urgency, Haruka picked up her pace. Worrisome thoughts whirled around in her mind. _Where did she go? What could she be thinking? Did she leave already?_ And the more her mind wandered, to the improbable possibility that Koizumi had been somehow abducted, the less cognizant she became of her surroundings. It was as though fear had completely blindside her as she ran headfirst through crowds, shoving people violently in her attempt to maneuver through the park and locate her other half.

Thinking that perhaps she had just missed Koizumi at security, Haruka thought to double-back. Yet just as she was turning to backtrack where she had just come from, she spotted a familiar face over on the carousel. It was almost eerie – seeing her own face, smiling blithely while riding a beautifully painted, rearing horse. Childish, ludicrous given the situation. If Haruka had not been worried to such a degree, she might have clicked her tongue in disgust at the display. But more pertinent than the fact that she had managed to locate Koizumi, why was she there?

Just as she wondered the question, Haruka's eyes wandered just far enough to locate Nishi, standing at the entrance of the attraction. He seemed similarly displeased, if not annoyed. Despite the crowd which hid him well, it would be difficult to approach him since Koizumi's eyes seemed practically locked on him. Without a hood to disguise her, Haruka knew she would only alarm Koizumi if she was noticed.

So, just to be sure, she waited for the carousel to carry Koizumi out of Nishi's line-of-sight before she approached him. On the off chance that someone might recognize her face, she kept her head turned down – hair shading her face.

"What is she doing?" The question sounded more snappy than she intended. She felt a twinge of regret for it, if only because she knew that Nishi was similarly going out of his way for her. No doubt that he was just as annoyed.

Yet the glare he shot back at Haruka was colder than she anticipated. "Waiting for her bodyguards. Said it would be safer to be among crowds." Not that his explanation was very well-conceived, but Haruka understood. Riding on the carousel with the children whose parents were watching them, kept her in the public's eye. It made it difficult for the enemy to make a move.

"How much longer?"

His shoulders shrugged in response, either because he didn't know or didn't care to answer. Haruka could only hope it was not the latter, considering how the anxiety was draining her of her very sanity. Although she suspected he took some pleasure in watching her squirm.

"I'll take this opportunity and see if I can find any of _them_ lingering around."

Right as she turned to leave, Nishi caught her hand. Haruka froze in shock from the contact. At least until she felt the butt of a gun being pressed against her palm. She peered down to see that he was passing over his Gantz weapon to her. Dubious, she glanced back into his face for affirmation – a silent _are you sure? _He grasped her fingers and folded them over the gun before withdrawing his hands.

"Go." His lips barely moved to form the word, and not once did he look at her while speaking it. Nishi had his gaze glued on Koizumi, who was coming back into their line-of-sight. This left Haruka with little time to linger, as much as she longed to.

Nishi's support left her feeling more resolute, if not still a bit worried for Koizumi. Hastily, she left his side, gripping the weapon tightly in her hand. Scouting the crowd to see if anyone was tailing Koizumi meant that she needed a vantage point with which to properly survey the people. That proved easier said than done, considering that the only really tall objects around the area were other rides – which was out of the question. Coupled alongside the fact that she had no disguise with which to hide her appearance, Haruka had no choice but to search and scan on foot.

While Koizumi took another round on the carousel, Haruka made her way around the attraction. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion, her hand poised to the trigger of her gun. Gone were any reservations she had about possibly killing an innocent. Anyone standing in the way of her goal, whether they intended to or not, was an enemy.

The pace of the crowd and the rate of how quick they were moving stifled Haruka's ability to detect any suspicious movement. She felt frustrated at being in such a disadvantaged position, particularly because Koizumi was so out in the open.

Her mind settled into complacency at the thought that no one would chance attacking Koizumi so openly. The words that Nishi had spoken had reassured her enough that, since she was unable to spot any particularly suspicious people tailing Koizumi, Haruka thought that perhaps they had given up.

Foolish.

_**Bang!**_

The sound of a gunshot shocked her into action, whipping around to try and find the source. But by then, Haruka had put enough distance between herself and the carousel that it proved difficult trying to get back. The crowd erupted in screams as people clamored to escape from the chaos. By that very action, they became a tidal wave that carried her despite her fierce attempts to fight back toward where she had left Nishi.

The adrenalin racing through her system sent her mind into a panic mode. Her ears were deafened by the strangled cries around her, her movement stifled by their sense of urgency to escape, and her vision flooded by the terrified faces rushing toward her.

Although her reaction was delayed, Haruka activated the strength of her Gantz suit to quite literally plow through the people and make it back to the attraction. She arrived at the railing to see the carousel deserted. There was no sign that anyone had actually been hit by the gunfire. Perhaps the sole intention was to stir the crowd. Either way, it caused her to lose sight of both Nishi and Koizumi. She could only hope that they had found each other before the commotion swept them apart.

As the area started to thin, people evacuating as authorities started rushing to the scene, Haruka felt tremors of fear in her legs and arms. _What do I do?_ There was no telling where Nishi or Koizumi had disappeared to. There was no trace of them – not a glimpse that she had caught of either of them, or even blood to indicate if something had actually happened to Koizumi.

In the end, she did not need to find a trail because it found her.

_**Bang!**_

Another gunshot sounded in the distance, not too far from where she was standing. No doubt someone was in pursuit of Koizumi. Haruka took off as fast as her legs would carry her, the strength from the Gantz suit propelling her that much faster. Only a cloud of dust was left in her wake. Moments after the sound of the gunshot came an explosion that left the ground momentarily trembling.

Haruka did not stop to contemplate the source of the noise. She found it just moments after its occurrence. She assumed it had to be Nishi, considering that there was a gaping hole in the wall surrounding the amusement park. No doubt he had created it as a form for their escape. But why?

Then she remembered, looking down at the weapon in her hand. Nishi had no way of retaliating against them besides his suit, and that left him disadvantaged at long range. Even with his suit it would be difficult to dodge gun shots and it would not protect him if he was hit by a bullet. At that thought, she picked up her pace.

Haruka found herself racing down the sidewalk of a mostly deserted street. Just up ahead was a stop sign and a three-way turn. Considering that neither Koizumi nor Nishi were in sight, she could only assume that they had taken that turn.

As she was running, she suddenly heard the sound of a motor rapidly approaching from behind her. The possibility ran through her head that the people in the vehicle had something to do with Koizumi's assailants. Perhaps it was her paranoia or maybe it was intuition – she suddenly stopped and turned toward advancing automobile. It was a black sedan with tinted windows, enough to convince Haruka to take a chance on them being related. The fact that the car was racing twenty miles over the speed limit anyways was enough to pique the suspicion of anybody.

The vehicle's brakes screeched as it inched closer. Apparently whoever was inside recognized Haruka's face and she braced herself, lifting her gun, finger poised to the trigger with the possibility that she might have to go on the offensive.

But when the car stopped and the rear passenger door opened, she recognized a familiar face that prompted her to drop her guard, if only momentarily. "Aunt?" her voice echoed hollowly as she dropped her arm to her side, taking a hesitant step forward.

The older woman was dressed in excessively extravagant clothing – gaudy sun glasses and jewelry that covered every inch of her being. She might have seemed glamorous if she didn't exude such an air of greed. Yet it was this very woman who had raised Haruka when her parents had not been able to. Regardless of how gluttonous she seemed, Haruka had always put her full trust and affection into her aunt – the only person who had approved of her where her grandfather had not.

That sudden spark of suspicion she momentarily had earlier when she had confirmed that familiar face to be her aunt's bodyguard returned. As much as she had wanted to pass it off as mere coincidence at the time, the sudden appearance of her aunt seemed to stack the pieces in favor of doubt and not just chance.

Despite putting the pieces together in her head, Haruka was still not quick enough. By the time she started to raise her own gun, the one she noticed her aunt holding had already fired. The bullet hit her before she even realized what was happening. Everything played in slow motion as the force of it tore through the muscle and sinew of her shoulder and sent her reeling backwards. By the time she hit the concrete, blood was starting to gush out of the wound in a steady stream. Fortunately the adrenalin kept her from recognizing any pain from the blow.

Perhaps more prudent than that was her shock. Suddenly she had discovered who was behind it all – the person she had been desperately chasing, intent on destroying – but the fact that it was the person she cared about most made it that much more difficult to accept. In that moment she lost her nerve and any will to fight back. What was the point in retaliation? If the person she cared for the most in the world wanted to cast her aside for her grandfather's inheritance, why stand against them?

_It's all over._

Haruka despaired at the morals she had cast aside to pursue her revenge. She lamented that she had turned herself into such a monster – taking the life of another without any hesitation. Just to come to this point she had forsaken her very humanity. Karma was now returning the favor for her evil deeds, or so she convinced herself.

Regardless of how downcast she suddenly felt, there was a darker force within Haruka that would not allow her to give up so easily. Even as she heard the approaching footsteps of her aunt and the cocking of the gun that was ready to take her life, Haruka kept a tight grip on her weapon.

In one swift motion she sat up, taking aim and pulling the trigger two times consecutively. It did not matter what she hit at this point, only that she managed to land one. At the same time, to avoid any counterattack, Haruka took a roll across the ground – just in time to narrowly avoid a well-aimed gun shot. By the time she made it up onto one knee, the two shots she had taken were already starting to show result.

Her aunt's right calf and left knee had begun to swell rapidly. The older woman let out a strangled scream as they exploded, blood splattering across the pavement followed by a loud thump as her body crashed against the ground.

Perhaps Haruka would have hesitated at that point if she realized just what she was doing or who she was doing it to. But by the gleam of her eyes, anyone could tell that she was far past the point of being conscious of her actions. There was something crawling just beneath her skin, like a blood lust that prompted her to aim her gun again.

_Just one more shot._ _Right at the torso. Then it's all over._

After aiming – just as she was ready to pull the trigger again – Haruka was shoved from the side, knocking the weapon loose from her already trembling hands.

"Aunt!" a voice called shrilly.

Haruka felt a a wave of goosebumps across her skin as she struggled to get up onto her feet, just in time to see Koizumi's back as the girl rushed to the side of the person whose life Haruka had just been about to end. Her throat felt dry as she parted her lips. _Stop. Don't touch that woman. She's the one who..._ The words would not come out, even as she opened her mouth and willed them to come forth.

There was the faint sound of a cocking gun, one that went unnoticed by Koizumi and one that prompted Haruka's attention. Her gaze turned slowly to the bodyguard who had stepped out of the driver's side of the vehicle. His gun was aimed right at Koizumi, his finger pressing down on the trigger.

"Stop!" the word tore through Haruka's throat and came out as a shrill cry.

The sound alarmed Koizumi, who must have recognized how odd it was to hear her own voice. Perhaps the shock prompted her to stop suddenly in the midst of her run – because when Haruka looked back to her, she was turning toward Haruka with eyes wide as saucers. It was at that same exact moment that the sound of gunshot went off.

Haruka watched the bullet rip right through the hoodie Koizumi was wearing. It buried itself deep in her chest and knocked her from her feet. The young girl, eyes still frozen wide open, landed in a heap on the ground just a few feet away from her aunt.

Although her legs felt like jello as she tried to move, Haruka stumbled forward. Her scream and subsequent movement, however, gained the attention of the armed driver who now turned the barrel of his gun toward her. Haruka had not the cognition to revel in the irony that it was already her second time in one day facing the barrel of the gun. Rather, she wanted it to fire this time. Right through her head, if possible. End it all. _Please._

"Move!" A rough hand knocked into her shoulder, effectively shoving her to the ground and out of the line of fire. The bullet narrowly grazed her ear as she was falling. And although her vision was blurry, Haruka looked up in time to see that Nishi had retrieved the gun she had dropped and had already returned fire.

Since her legs were being uncooperative in lifting her back up, Haruka crawled across the ground – her one arm swinging uselessly since she had started losing feeling in it from the blood loss. Her vision was swimming and she could only vaguely register the droplets of rain landing on her cheek – they were hardly distinguishable from the tears swelling up and overflowing from her eyes.

"Haruka," she croaked out her own name with a hoarse voice as she finally came to the side of the motionless body. Haruka outstretched a trembling hand toward the pallid face of the girl whose appearance resembled her own.

Much to Haruka's relief, Koizumi managed to turn her gaze up toward the person calling her name. Her lips moved as though to speak but the action was interrupted as she only ended up sputtering out her own blood. The rest of her bodily fluids were forming a pool around her and her breathing was rapidly growing shallow.

Haruka's fingertips grazed Koizumi's cheek. Perhaps it was just the rain now soaking them but it seemed to be growing colder. She wanted to cry, to scream, to plead with Koizumi to hold on – if only because she could see all of her efforts dissipating before her very eyes at the prospect of Koizumi dying now, of all times.

"N...ishi..." Koizumi managed to choke out his name, albeit a bit garbled, before her eyes started to glaze over with the shadow of death.

Panicking, Haruka grasped Koizumi's shoulder and started shaking it fiercely. "What are you doing? You can't–"

"She's already dead."

Those words made her blood run cold as she slowly gazed up at Nishi who was hovering just behind her with a somber expression on his face. He did not seem the least bit affected by the situation, which only exacerbated Haruka's despair. Venomous words welled up at the back of her throat, waiting to spill over. "It's your fault," she said finally as the anger poured over. Even if she recognized that it really wasn't, she had to blame someone other than herself.

Yet Nishi did not seem the least bit affected by her resentment. Instead he pointed toward Koizumi's body, "Look."

Her gaze shifted just in time to see that Koizumi's body was gradually disappearing from the head down. At first her initial reaction was confusion until she realized, and her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. _Gantz..._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I know, I know. "This took forever!" I have been dealing with bad writer's block, deaths in the family, computer repeatedly going out (again), and problems with my relationship. It's like when you say, "Well at least it's not raining," and then it starts raining. Hate to make excuses for long intervals between updates and perhaps lack of quality but they are all true. :(

Anyhow, thanks for all of the reviews, feedback, and messages. I appreciate them and read them even if I do not respond to them. Just busybusy trying to get into a university from my community college besides the myriad of other issues real life brings. Hopefully the next update will be much sooner. (Like in August! Or later this month! Let's not be too optimistic, though.)


	15. Reckless

**Chapter 15 ; Reckless**

The metallic scent of blood was cloying at her nose. It hit her like a fist to the gut, leaving her struggling to tamp down the irrepressible urge to vomit. Tears stung at the edge of her eyes as she clamped her hands over her mouth to muffle her own screaming.

Crimson liquid was quickly pooling around the two collapsed bodies. The heads on each were missing as they lay there, one body unevenly folded on top of the other. It was a grizzly and messy end for each of them but their killer seemed to have little remorse.

Koizumi trembled from the fear and disgust. Her eyes were frozen open, despite the urging voice in the back of her mind telling her to stop looking. But her thoughts were hazed over with confusion. Her mind was reeling at the fact that the person who had just mercilessly shot down those two people – her aunt and her aunt's driver – had an appearance that resembled her own.

It might have been a perfect reflection if the other woman did not have sunken cheeks and dark rings around her eyes. Her body was lithe, almost skeletal – those bony fingers of hers wrapped rightly around that odd, gaudy looking weapon. Firing that thing, she had managed to slaughter the only two people that Koizumi knew in the room besides Nishi, in a mere matter of seconds no less. And there was no hesitation in that woman's eyes when she turned the barrel of that gun toward Koizumi.

Koizumi's breath hitched in the back of her throat as she pressed her back against the wall behind her, as though trying to flatten herself against it and become invisible. Oh how she wished she could – to disappear would have been the greatest reprieve from the adrenalin coursing through her. Her arms were covered in goosebumps as that blood-covered figure inched toward her.

"Don't come any closer!" she cried shrilly, desperately pressing her feet against the floor as though to push herself back even though there was no where to escape to.

"Good." The other woman regarded Koizumi with an unreadable expression as she took another step closer. Any distance between them now was easily closed when that gun-wielding arm extended forward. Koizumi froze at the feel of the barrel bumping against her forehead.

Was she going to die? Was this the end for her? It seemed strange since just moments before she had been running to her aunt's bloody body. She could still vividly recall the sound of a gunshot and the feeling of her own body giving out from under her. The creeping darkness that overcame her... it almost seemed surreal. Especially since she had abruptly found herself transported to this mysterious apartment. Did that not mean that she had already died once?

"N-Nishi-kun," Koizumi squeaked out in her desperation.

Yet when she glanced over toward him, hoping that he might deign to intervene and spare her, those eyes of his regarded her as coldly as her aunt's killer. There was no warmth, no sympathy, not even the tolerance that he had granted her on their "date." Her stomach lurched to think that he was in line with the person that was about to pull the trigger on her.

"Hey, now. It's bad enough that you already murdered two other people in cold blood. Now you're waving your gun at a kid. Back off already!"

Those cold, piercing blue eyes turned to a rather busty woman in skimpy clothing and bleached blonde hair. It was she who had surprisingly come to Koizumi's defense where everyone else in the room had remained dead silent.

"I'm not going to kill her." Despite saying that, she kept the gun level with Koizumi's head and her finger poised at the trigger. "It's her fault that she's here anyways."

Koizumi swallowed the lump forming at the back of her throat. Despite how frightened she was, she recognized that the voice of the other person sounded similar to her own, albeit imbued with a coldness that she had never held when speaking. It rattled her nerves to hear herself sound so imposing – although, certainly the other woman was not her. Coincidence was surely the only reason for their uncanny resemblance to each other.

"Listen up."

Those words caught Koizumi by surprise and she stiffened visibly as her eyes lifted slowly to gaze up at the face of her tormentor. "Y-Yes?" Her response came out as an audible gasp.

"You're going to do everything that I tell you to do. If you don't, you will die."

As though forgetting about the weapon steadied to take her life, Koizumi gave a jerking nod. While that was no indication that she had any enthusiasm about following orders, she found herself breathing a sigh of relief the moment the gun lowered back to the other woman's side. Perhaps it was not the best opportunity but the question spilled past her lips before she could contemplate the repercussions of her inquiry. "Who... are you?"

Those eyes stared down at her, lips pursed as though the woman would not even consider answering. At least that was the way it seemed. "I'm nobody." It was a vague reply and did not sate Koizumi's curiosity in the least.

"No name?" Koizumi chanced, although she really wanted to know why the other woman looked exactly like her. That particular question, however, did not seem as though it was elicit anything other than a resentful glare from the other person.

"Not anymore." As though she deemed that to be the end of the conversation, Haruka turned her back on the very person she had been fighting so hard to protect. Her mind was collapsing in on itself yet her face remained bereft of any emotion. She felt frozen inside and out, numb to the very feelings swirling around inside of her, only vaguely aware of the knots twisting in the pit of her stomach. Stepping over the two corpses, she returned to Nishi side with her hand outstretched to return his gun to him. As odd as it seemed, she gave a hollow, "Thank you," in exchange for his cooperation.

Those dark eyes of his lingered on her face for a moment. There was a barely visible yet slight crease in his lips. But it was not a reassuring smile. It was deranged amusement. Perhaps he found himself excited by how much further she had allowed herself to fall. Whatever delight he derived from it, he kept his thoughts to himself as he reached for the weapon.

The moment the weight left her hands, she felt as though she had been relieved of some sort of burden. As though she could pretend that the heinous acts she had committed moments ago were not her own. Whatever momentary relief she found was interrupted by Gantz's song. Another mission was about to proceed and she could feel the blood bubbling her veins, the anticipation rising.

—

There was something satisfying about the grip of the katana she held in her hand. Perhaps it was the added strength that the Gantz suit afforded her – she could easily maneuver the weapon without noticing the burden of its weight. With Izumi's absence, she took it upon herself to replace her gun with a weapon infinitely more suited to her fighting style.

"U-um..."

Her eyes flickered for a moment before she cast a glance over her shoulder. "What?" It sounded more snappy than she had intended, but Haruka had no intention of showing even a sliver of kindness to Koizumi. There was no point in meaningless shows of compassion and sympathy; if Koizumi were to survive in the Gantz world, she would have to acclimate quickly. And even then there was still the issue of how she would be able to stay without staining her hands with blood the same as Haruka had.

"We're still in Japan... aren't we? But... where is everyone else?" By "everyone else" Haruka could easily guess that Koizumi was specifically referring to Nishi.

Somehow when Gantz had teleported them, it was to a separate location than the rest of the group – Nishi included. The two blue-eyed females found themselves alone in a deserted suburban neighborhood. The streets were barren and there was only the light from a dim street lamp nearby to illuminate the area. No sign of the aliens they were intended to exterminate.

"The only person you can afford to worry about is you." Haruka cocked her head back with a frown. There was something infinitely frustrating to her about having an association with her other self. Perhaps it was jealousy – contempt and disdain stemmed from watching Koizumi enjoy a carefree life for the past several weeks while Haruka had experienced a living hell. Maybe it had more to do with the discrepancy in their attitudes, reminding Haruka of how weak and ineffectual she had once been.

Koizumi dipped her chin almost apologetically. "O-okay..."

"Let's go."

Fingers constricted in a death grip on the hilt of her katana, Haruka started down the street. There was some hesitancy on Koizumi's part but she did not linger behind for very long. Fear, perhaps, had spurred her to keep only a maximum distance between herself and Haruka.

No sooner had silence settled between them than Koizumi saw fit to interrupt it. Perhaps it was because she noticed that there existed an association between Nishi and Haruka that her curiosity had piqued, and with it she had gained some courage. "Um... we're looking for that thing that was on that black ball's screen, right?"

"Yeah."

"What happens after that?"

The questions were a bit bothersome but Haruka could scarcely blame Koizumi for being curious. She, herself, had experienced the same dazed wonderment when she had first been transported. In the back of her head she recalled how gruesome her first mission had been – and she certainly did not wish the same fate on the timid girl trailing behind her. "We get to go back to our regular lives."

That answer inspired some hope in Koizumi and the shy girl could hardly suppress the smile working its way back up on her face. "That's a relief."

Haruka did not have the heart to then tell her that they would be summoned again at a later date, if they even survived this mission in the first place. Perhaps that tidbit was better saved for later. She pursed her lips; she would not disclose more than necessary, for both of their sakes.

With those questions satisfied, things became quiet again. Only the clicking of their shoes against the pavement filled the air like a symphony. It was a bit unnerving, considering they had not heard anything from the surrounding area to suggest they were anywhere close to their target.

"Huh... isn't this is a weird place to have a horse like that?"

Those words made Haruka freeze. _A horse..._ Almost simultaneously came the crashing sound of hooves beating against the asphalt – an earsplitting noise followed by the whistle of metal cutting through the air. Haruka spun around on her heel, diving for Koizumi who seemed too shocked to budge. Shoving her hands against the other woman's chest, Haruka successfully managed to knock her out of the path of the scythe that nearly separated her head from the rest of her body. The two landed in a heap, though Haruka was quick to leap back to her feet, brandishing her weapon defensively.

Perspiration had already beaded across her forehead. Her breathing had hitched in anticipation as the adrenalin started pumping. The excitement was unreal. It was pure euphoria as Haruka found herself staring down their intended target.

It was no horse – more to the point it looked like a centaur, although the whole of its body was as black as coal and wrapped in shadows. Those eyes were gleaming a murderous red that seemed to shine with evil intent. The weapon it was wielding was lofty and cumbersome yet the creature handled it with ease, its muscles rippling as it drew the scythe back and readied for another attack.

"W-what is that thing?!"

"Just stay out of my way," Haruka quipped as she charged forward.

The two blades arced through the air before colliding. The noisy union reverberated through the empty night, eliciting a shrill cry from Koizumi who had quickly scrambled out of the way and was watching with misty eyes.

"Th-there's no way you can defeat that thing... we should run!"

On the contrary, Haruka did not seem to be the least bit aware of any disadvantage on her part. All she felt was the thrill of the battle, of the power behind the scythe that was slowly pushing her a step back at a time. Sure enough, she would be overpowered if she did not go all out with the power of her Gantz suit.

"Please, we need to go!"

Koizumi's cries fell on deaf ears as Haruka finally broke the stalemate by leaping backwards, both hands still firmly gripping the hilt of her blade. She had already completely tuned out anything other than the pure glee she felt from confronting death so brazenly. It was an odd sensation; never before would she have thought that such a thing could bring her joy. Perhaps it was further proof that she was succumbing to the demons within herself.

No time to contemplate whether the changes in herself were good or bad. Her opponent would not wait forever. The next move was hers – she had to create an opening for herself. There was no chance that she would be able to overpower the creature. Strategy was key.

Pivoting a foot forward, she threw herself back into the fray. The noise of their battle echoed in Koizumi's ears as she watched helplessly from the sidelines. Tears had wriggled from from the ducts of her eyes and began to trickle down to the point of her chin. In her trembling hands she held tightly to the gun that Haruka had insisted upon giving her.

Perhaps, she thought, she could use it to help. Yet fear bubbled fiercely in the pit of her stomach and made her second guess any hopes she had to be useful to the other woman. What if she ended up hitting Haruka? That was not a chance she was willing to take. In the first place she felt uneasy about aiming such a weapon at anyone or anything. Even if this creature intended to end their lives.

Haruka, on the other hand, did not seem the least bit concerned that Koizumi remained motionless on the sidelines. There appeared to be a deranged grin on her face – amusement as she charged headlong against an adversary that seemed completely undaunted by her endless onslaught of attacks.

She aimed a sweeping strike at the creature's neck when she thought its defense was down, only to find her blow parried. The counter came before she could recover and she could feel the cool steel slash through the form fitting suit and carve into her shoulder.

Koizumi screamed in horror as blood sprayed across the ground.

"Checkmate," Haruka declared despite grimacing at the pain. She managed to – with the strength of her suit – plunge the katana straight into the creature chest. It let out a deafening cry as it struggled against the weapon impaling it, but try as it might to break free, Haruka had extended the blade far enough to ensure her opponent's demise.

It took a few moments before, in its endless agony, the creature finally released its hold on the scythe still embedded in Haruka's shoulder. Only a few moments after that, it collapsed with her katana still protruding from its chest.

As soon as it seemed safe, Koizumi hurried to Haruka's side. Without even a word, she took hold of the scythe. Try as she might, she could not pry it free – and then suddenly a surge of limitless strength sang through the muscles in her arms and with one last yank she managed to pry it out of Haruka's shoulder.

The other girl sagged down to the ground with a hoarse groan. Haruka's sword hand immediately rose to put pressure on her damaged shoulder. Despite the pain, she found herself grinning triumphantly. The euphoria she had felt just moments ago had yet to completely recede and she found herself still basking in the delight of pitting herself against an opponent whose odds of winning were infinitely greater than her own.

"B-blood...? What can we do? B-bandages? A... hospital?" Frantically Koizumi twisted her head this way and that, her gaze sweeping across their surroundings. She was desperate to find some means to bring Haruka some reprieve from the pain.

"No such thing as hospitals until this is over," Haruka seethed out with some difficulty. It was not the first time she had been in this amount of pain. The wound was not as severe as it appeared, although it did limit any use of her left arm. She would certainly not die from blood loss. It was a shallow enough injury, given that she had positioned herself well enough to keep from taking the full brunt of the creature's swing.

"Yeah, but we can't just leave it like that," Koizumi protested meekly with a disapproving frown.

Perhaps there was some truth to that, but neither of them had the luxury of a first aid kit. All they had were their suits and their weapons.

"Can't we go back now? We defeated that thing, so..."

Just as all of the times before, Haruka suspected that this was not the main alien that they were intended to beat. There had to be something else that Gantz had summoned them to kill. And if her latest opponent was any indication, their true adversary would be something fearsome indeed. Rather than that thought inspiring fear, Haruka felt excited at the prospect.

"Um...?"

Haruka blinked slowly, gradually registering that Koizumi had ventured closer to her and was waving a hand in front of her face. "What?" the injured woman bit back irritably.

"S-sorry... I just wanted to know if we could go home now."

"No." It was a short answer but it would suffice. Koizumi did not need to know the details. At the very least, Haruka was not going to be the one to disclose them.

Whatever conversation they were having ended there abruptly as Haruka lifted herself back onto her feet and brusquely brushed past the other, reaching for her katana. The alien was still quite literally shish kabob'd on the blade. Haruka grasped the hilt and pressed her foot to the still-warm body that continued to bleed out on the street – its lifeblood an eerie black color. Yanking the weapon free, Haruka gave it a quick swing to knock off the remaining bodily residue.

"Let's go."

Those were the only two words spoken before the two proceeded. It seemed as though, for a while, Koizumi intended to object. There was an obvious (annoying) looking of concern on her face as her gaze constantly wandered to Haruka. A few times she had even opened her mouth but quickly swallowed whatever words were about to roll off of her tongue. The silence did not linger for too long. Koizumi would not allow it.

"Are you feeling okay?"

The question earned her a pointed glare.

"Um... where do you think Nishi-kun is? Do you think he's alright? Will he have to fight one of those, too?"

A glare did not seem enough to sate Koizumi's curiosity. Reluctant to waste words, Haruka breathed a sigh before answering. "Probably looking for aliens. Who knows. Most likely."

It took Koizumi a moment to realize that all of her questions had been answered in order. Obviously she was dissatisfied with the lack of assurance but she pursed her lips. There were probably more questions she wanted to ask but she probably also suspected that they would go largely unanswered or ignored as her previous ones had.

The longer they walked, the more keenly aware Haruka became of the numb sensation creeping over her shoulder. Blood had begun to coagulate across the open wound and stymie the otherwise constant flow, so while she doubted that it signified anything particularly dangerous, she suspected that her sudden sluggishness could be attributed to how much blood she had lost. Her body felt weary, as though she was forcefully dragging it along. Fortunately Haruka's willpower far outweighed the lethargy she felt.

As they rounded a street corner, coming to an empty intersection, both girls stopped dead in their tracks. A puddle of opaque liquid was slowly spreading across the pavement, reflected in the light of the lamps lighting the street. There was no doubt that it was...

"B-blood!" Koizumi shrieked as she took two stumbling steps backward, tripping over her own feet and landing with a noisy thud against the ground.

While Haruka did not share the same reaction to this grim revelation, she did pause to consider the source. Her gaze surveyed the area and at last came to the origin; it was the body of that high school boy that had survived the last round of Gantz. Even from a distance away, she could clearly tell that his body had been completely split in half horizontally.

Haruka did not loiter for long – she advanced toward the body. It did not even seem faze her that she was walking across puddles of blood, which splashed against her feet. Pausing in front of the corpse, she leaned from side to side to get a better look at the wound. Granted that she was no battle expert, but what she wanted to know most was whether his death had been a result of the same creature she had fought or...

A scream rippled through the area and interrupted her silent investigation. Haruka's eyes were immediately drawn to Koizumi but it was clearly that noise was a distance away. No doubt someone else engaged in battle. Perhaps against the very creature that had sliced the boy so cleanly in two.

Haruka could not be sure either way if this was the larger prey she intended to pursue or the same she had killed not but a little while ago. She had to take a chance, either way. It was the only lead she had. Even as hugely disadvantaged as she was with the wound on her shoulder – she had to finish earning those points for Nishi. As inane as a task that seemed now, given that Koizumi now shared her fate.

"Come on," she bellowed back at Koizumi, who was still half-splayed across the ground on her rear end.

The girl hesitantly obeyed Haruka's beckoning and scrambled up to her feet, still clinging onto the weapon that she had been given. She maintained a steel grip on the handle of the gun – like it was some kind of lifeline. (And she suspected that before the night was over, it just might be the very thing keeping her from the transition of life to death.)

Their pace picked up – though not a full-out run – quickening as they neared the source of the noise they had heard only moments ago. Though the screaming had long since died away, there was the echoing sound of hooves against pavement. If that was not a clear enough indication that they had located their intended target, then certainly seeing the towering and intimidating figure up close was more than sufficient.

Being in such close proximity was actually completely accidental. Somehow Haruka and Koizumi had managed to flank the creature. It gave Haruka the perfect opening opportunity. For how large the creature was – wrapped in the shadows of the night – they could not see past it to see whoever it was apparently engaged in battle with. It did not matter to Haruka. She was not about to forsake the miracle she had been granted.

Precious moments would tick away if she did not make the split second decision to throw herself at her enemy's unprotected back. Unsuspecting, she could surely cut it down – although she was not sure if this was their final intended target. That did not matter, either. She would earn points regardless.

So without another second wasted on debate, she lunged with her fingers curled in a death grip around the hilt of her katana. Her other arm hung uselessly at her side, but the Gantz suit was enough to compensate for the strength she lacked, putting enough force and power behind her blade to slice the creature in two.

As soon as she thought she had hit the mark, toothy grin surfacing on her face – she quickly realized that the shadows around the creature belied a thick sheet of protective armoring that her katana proved incapable of penetrating. Instead her blade ricocheted, leaving her defenseless as she was sent reeling a few steps backward from the force.

This served to alert her opponent of her presence but worse than that, it had given the creature a clear opening to exploit. With one swing of its scythe, it would completely gut her and tear through her vitals.

A flash of silver flickered through the night, arcing for her exposed abdomen. Haruka hadn't even the time to realize what was happening. The only thing she could perceive was a sharp cry that erupted from somewhere behind her – no doubt the frightened Koizumi being the source.

In the matter of a second, there was a strange crackling as the color of Haruka's surroundings blurred in front of her and she felt something collide against her, catapulting her backward with great force. Then came the audible sound of metal striking through flesh, and the splatter of blood as thick droplets scattered across concrete. What was strange, however, was that it was not accompanied by the searing pain that Haruka had anticipated.

Instead came only the pain of crashing against the ground with an audible thud, and the feeling of something weighty bearing down from on top of her. Her eyes blinked furiously as she heard a hissing groan, feeling warm breath caress the shell of her ear.

"Nishi-kun!" Koizumi shrieked, followed shortly by clamoring footsteps that grew louder as the frantic girl approached.

It took these all of these cues and even then Haruka was slowly to realize that the body that had collapsed on top of her own belonged to Nishi. She could feel his hair tickle against her cheek as he gradually attempted to lift himself away.

Those eyes of his were strained, face contorted in pain and covered in sweat. His jaw clenched as he seemed to fight against himself, trying to find the strength to push his own body off of her. Apparently he had taken the blow, but from her position, it was impossible to know how bad of an injury he had sustained.

She was far more preoccupied wondering... why? Certainly she was not dreaming, was she? Nishi was not the type of person to sacrifice himself for someone else. Why had he stepped in the path of the blade? He could have let the creature kill her and then taken advantage of the confusion in that moment to kill it himself, earning all the points.

The confusion distorted the expression on her face as she stared quizzically up at the person who had protected her. "Why?" Her voice sounded strangely foreign – hoarse and raspy.

But those dark, empty eyes of his only stared back at her, gradually hazing over as his eyelids slowly sagged shut and the full weight of his body collapsed against her.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Again coming out later than I intended but I think I'm quite pleased with the quality. Keep up the awesome feedback, it fuels my motivation. XD Thanks for sticking with the story and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	16. Closer

**Chapter 16 ; Closer**

Everything came crashing down in just a few moments. The last granule of sanity slipped away as she watched Nishi's eyelids sink closed. Her mind registered it gradually and it cemented in her head in the form of self-denigrating hatred. The expression of surprise drained away and her countenance became unreadable and pallid. Gently she pressed her hands against Nishi's shoulder, rolling his dead weight to the side.

_Dead weight?_ She choked on the possibility that he was really dead. Yet she did not pause to check for his pulse or inspect the severity of his wound. Instead she advanced on the creature that had again been preoccupied by the woman that had formerly dressed as an exotic dancer – the very one that had confronted Haruka back in the Gantz room. Now dressed in the same form-fitting black suit as Haruka, the woman was still struggling to keep pace as she unloaded the Gantz gun in her hands. Those desperate shots were poorly aimed and only seemed to ricochet off the impenetrable darkness cloaking her foe.

Bending down, Haruka carefully slipped her fingers around the hilt of her previously forsaken katana. It felt heavier this time when she lifted it. The burden of guilt weighed down on the blade. Her vision had grown hazy and clouded as she lifted it to look at the monster that she had foolishly charged moments before.

Her mind raced. How was she supposed to defeat it? Up until this point she had just mindlessly thrown herself into the fray, not caring whether she lived or died – but there was one thing she knew. If she did not finish it quickly then Nishi would die... if he hadn't already. That thought pumped adrenalin through her system and she could feel a tingling in the tips of her fingers. Could she afford to loiter and fall into self-doubt when his life depended upon her success?

Gritting her teeth, Haruka raised her injured arm to grasp the bottom end of the katana. Her shoulder was still throbbing with pain but she knew she would have to bear it. Grinding her teeth together, she positioned herself to attack.

Scanning the darkness that enveloped the creature, she could see no opening or weaknesses that she could exploit. How was she supposed to finish this quickly? Haruka was beginning to panic, despite how hard she was trying to tamp down her fear and anxiety. It was growing rampant and zapping away whatever mental strength she had built up.

A voice in the back of her head cried out in resistance. She felt like a small child again. Useless to the people she cared about and forsaken by the powers that be. Reality settled in as she realized something. Losing Nishi meant more than losing a person she had been crushing on for months. It meant losing the only person who understood her predicament, the only person who had extended their hand – even if begrudgingly, even if it was conditional. Even if he had been unusually cruel and callous. None of that mattered because the loss of him meant that she would lose the last thread holding her together.

"I... I won't let you get away with this!" Koizumi cried out from behind her. That shriek of jumbled words was quickly followed by the sound of a Gantz gun firing off consecutively.

Hearing it rattled Haruka. She broke out of the fear that had frozen her solid. Jerking her head, she followed the blur of the creature as it reared and charged toward Koizumi.

"You moron, run!" Haruka called out at her, voice cracking as she lurched forward and chased after the creature.

"No, I'm not going to run, or this thing will kill all of us!" She kept her aim steady and continued firing, despite the futility of her attacks. Koizumi was clearly afraid – her knees were wobbling and it seemed as though she might crumble onto the ground at any moment. Yet she remained miraculously steadfast. "You can use the opportunity. As long as this thing dies, I don't care!"

What was she saying? This was not the Koizumi that Haruka thought she knew. Had she been this gutsy her first time? Certainly not. She had buckled under the pressure and cowered, hoping to be saved. So then why...? Was it merely because of what Koizumi saw happen to Nishi?

There was hardly an opportunity to pause and contemplate. Haruka's legs bulged hideously as she used all the strength the Gantz suit could afford her to propel herself forward. It would not be enough that she could reach the creature before it reached Koizumi, but Koizumi was right. Regardless of anything else, Haruka had to take the opportunity.

As it neared Koizumi, the creature drew its blade back. It whistled through the air – appearing like a crescent moon that streaked through the darkness of the night – as it raced toward the defenseless girl's neck. It seemed unlikely that Koizumi would be able to deflect or otherwise defend herself from the attack. Yet at the last moment she flung herself backward and the blade whizzed just inches past her face.

While Koizumi took a tumbling fall backwards, rolling over onto herself, Haruka thrust her blade at the creature's abdomen. A resounding clink of sword against armor broke through the air as she was sent again stumbling backwards.

Since its intended prey had grown out of immediate reach, the creature jerked around to meet Haruka's next swing head-on. She easily braced herself against the strength of her opponent. The creature leered at her, as though sizing her up – probably thinking she would be an easy kill.

This time Haruka felt a surge of confidence. She could do this. All she had to do was keep her cool, calculate her opponent's moves in advance and react accordingly. It was a simple plan and perhaps one without much forethought. Nonetheless, she easily parried the next several oncoming attacks. Both weapons trembled with the strength of their users as they clashed.

The suit bulged around her entire body, including her arms and her legs. She was emptying whatever reserves of power the suit had rather quickly. In fact on the fourth parry, Haruka noticed something strange. Her arms and legs had suddenly resumed their dangerously thin and muscularly inferior form. Blue fluid was running down the suit and no matter how much she tried to call upon that strength, she came up empty. She could not ready herself quick enough. When her normal human strength met that of her opponent's, the blade was knocked from her hands and she found herself slung backwards onto the concrete, the wind knocked out of her.

Choking on the oxygen that suddenly flooded from her lungs, Haruka took gasping breaths as she struggled to get back onto her feet. But her entire body was shaking and her injured arm now failed her, causing her to collapse uselessly.

She cursed obscenities in her mind as she lifted her chin. Surely the creature would chase her down now and finish her off. Haruka did not stand a chance without the power of her Gantz suit. Now that it had been rendered useless, there was nothing she could do. It was the end.

"Don't give up. Get off the ground quick as you can and run to your buddy. Make sure he's okay and get outta here. I'll take care of the rest with that other girl." The very person that she had butted heads with back in the Gantz room was protectively standing in front of her.

"Hey, blockhead, don't forget about me!" For every dumb thing Koizumi seemed to have thought of, chucking her gun at the back of the creature's head would certainly take the cake. Now she was unarmed and completely vulnerable. All the gun shots fired at the creature were easily deflected by its armor anyways. It was pointless to try.

Yet Koizumi's actions seemed to have greatly infuriated the creature as it shrieked and reared again – this time chasing after her with a previously unseen ferocity. That gave Haruka an idea – a sudden realization that produced a renewed strength as she scrambled to her feet.

"I'm borrowing this," Haruka bellowed as she yanked the Gantz gun free of the other woman's hand. Despite the fact that she was still unsteady on her feet and her one arm was hanging limply at her side, she started running toward the creature.

Koizumi had managed to duck several of its attacks and was on the run, keeping away with the help of her own Gantz suit. She had managed to find Haruka's discarded katana and was using it to defend herself against the onslaught of attacks, but she had not the sword training to be able to adapt to the situation and properly react. The clear disadvantage was growing as the weapon was suddenly knocked out of her grasp. Collapsing to the ground, Koizumi had her arms positioned defensively as though it would protect her.

Haruka stopped just a short distance away and leveled the gun to the creature's head before firing off consecutive shots. Her aim drifted as she switched to the two arms poised to swing down at Koizumi. She only loathed the delay because the creature appeared initially unaffected as its weapon whistled through the air and came crashing down toward Koizumi.

Then it came; the creature's head swelled to an unimaginable degree before bursting like an overripe watermelon. Blood sprayed everywhere, and soon its arms exploded as well, leaving an endless stream of black oozing across the pavement and splattering across Koizumi who squealed in surprise as she crawled back to avoid the collapsing body of the creature.

As soon as it was over, Haruka threw the gun to the ground and broke into a run. Her legs carried her until she arrived at Nishi's body and then her knees gave way beneath her. She sank down and reached for his shoulder, giving him a rough shake. "H-hey," she squeaked out with trepidation. Fear riddled her voice. Perhaps because she was afraid of receiving no response – and that was exactly what happened.

His back was pressed against the pavement and there was a puddle of blood that had formed beneath him. Haruka pressed her shaky hand against his cheek. He had grown deathly cold and her heart seized. Had all of her efforts really been for not?

There was no time for her to mourn. Gantz had already begun summoning them back to the room. She could feel the familiar tingle as her head began to materialize back into the apartment, slowly disappearing from where she was sitting on the street. It caused a panic in her.

"No, no!" she screamed out, grasping desperately at Nishi's body even as her head had completely appeared in the Gantz room and her body still lingered behind. But that was rapidly changing as she could feel her chest and arms materializing as well. Grief-stricken, she wailed as her the last of her finally appeared in the room. The tears came pouring down and her entire body shook with sobs as she pressed the open palms of her hands against her face. She felt as though she were suffocating. Her stomach churned as knots formed, eliciting a nausea that left her choking on her own strangled cries.

"A-are you alright?" Koizumi asked hesitantly, dropping a hand to Haruka's shoulder as though to offer some form of comfort.

As though turning her own self-hatred outward, Haruka immediately slapped Koizumi away. "Don't touch me," she snarled in a low growl. Less because she actually had anything against Koizumi and more so that she loathed seeing her own face. Nothing had turned out as she had hoped. She did not care about the points that Gantz would assign. Everything was ruined. Everything was gone.

Wrapped up in a flood of emotion, she barely registered when another hand gently pressed down upon her head. Haruka immediately thought to smack it away again – passing it off as Koizumi making another futile attempt to try and "comfort" her. But when she peered up, eyes narrowed in anger, she saw something unbelievable. "Nn...?" A strange audible sound wriggled past her lips, signifying her surprise.

Nishi was staring down at her, his face as solemn as ever. His arm was outstretched, hand gently resting on the top of her head, like some consolatory gesture. Every part of him was perfectly intact, his skin warm with the color of life, unlike he had been just moments before.

_How?_ The question rang out in her mind but she did not care to question the miracle in front of her eyes. Haruka leaped to her feet and threw her arms around his neck. Even though he certainly wouldn't appreciate (let alone reciprocate) the close contact, she could not hold back her relief. She pressed her face against his shoulder and took a sharp inhale. It was definitely his scent, and he felt real. This was not a dream.

Despite the fact that he was surely not pleased by her clinging, Nishi did not make a move to push her away. "Gantz, show us our scores," he said impatiently. Haruka could feel the warmth of his breath against her forehead. It sent a shiver down her spine.

Having satisfied her urge to affirm that Nishi was indeed still alive and not a figment of her imagination, Haruka took a step back and turned her gaze to Gantz. This time she was the first one whose score appeared. Granted a staggering twenty-seven points, for not only landing a killing blow on their final foe but also taking down one of the lesser ones as well. Rather than pay attention to the other scores as they were displayed, Haruka silently contemplated her gradually growing score count. Perhaps reaching one-hundred was not out of the realm of possibility, despite how far away it seemed. But in the end, she was hardly concerned with her point score at all. Seeing Nishi safe and alive was enough for her.

Once Gantz was finished revealing to everyone their scores – and by everyone, that meant a total of four people. The disagreeable exotic dancer (Haruka could only guess what the woman really was) had survived yet again, along with Koizumi, Haruka, and Nishi. All of the new participants had met their grizzly end, alongside that high school boy that had made it through the last Gantz mission.

"Is it all over? Can we go home now?" Koizumi asked nervously, glancing from Haruka to Nishi.

Rather than answer the question directly, Nishi started for the front door of the apartment to leave. Haruka lingered behind for a few moments, her eyes glued to Koizumi as she hastily informed, "You can leave but whatever you do, don't speak of what you saw here to anyone. Just live your life normally for the moment."

That startled Koizumi – for certainly the loss of her aunt still weighed heavily on her mind – but she conceded with a nod. "A-Alright..."

With that business taken care of, Haruka raced after Nishi. When she caught up to him, the two walked in complete silence. She thought to broach the subject of his earlier intervention that had saved her life, but he did not seem to be wearing a very accommodating expression. Indeed, his disposition was even more aloof than before. Maybe he was angry at her, she worried, since she had acted too hastily and he had been forced to save her. But she would never have expected him to save her. Certainly even he could see that it was out of character.

Consumed in her thoughts, she did not even noticed that he had stopped until he reached out and roughly grabbed and yanked her by the forearm. Haruka stumbled backward and out of the crosswalk she had almost entered while cars were still racing down the street.

"Watch where you're walking," he rebuked harshly.

She was shocked that he would raise his voice in such a way. "S-sorry." The apology spilled past her lips habitually. Haruka had long ago grown used to apologizing, even for irrelevant things over which she exerted no personal control.

Nishi stared at her for a moment with those cold eyes before his grasp loosened and his hand dropped back to his side. "Hungry?" he asked.

A small smile creased on her lips and she gave a small nod. The question she wanted to ask was sitting just at the back of her tongue but she could not find the courage to voice it. So she just obediently followed after him as he stopped at a fast food restaurant to eat.

It was a rare occasion and as Nishi paid for the food, Haruka managed a peek at his wallet – it was mostly empty. She was not surprised. Perhaps that was why it was somewhat telling that he was willing to order some food for her and pay for it without complaint. Unusual given his initial resistance to her very presence.

Something had gradually grown between them. Their loneliness drew them close, for she was the only person he had and vice versa. They had to cling to each other because they had nothing else in life. Perhaps that was why he had saved her, and why she had felt so empty at the thought of losing him. Yet while Haruka had originally had something before Gantz, Nishi had never had anything. It was puzzling to think about. Perhaps it was presumptuous to think that he was really as attached as she was anyways.

"Stop thinking and eat."

She blinked furiously, finally realizing that Nishi had settled in the seat across from her with a tray on the table between them. Her mouth watered at the thought of warm food to eat. Shamelessly, she dug in just as he had urged her. Haruka savored the flavor of every bite before swallowing.

Nishi gazed upon her languidly as he poked at his own food. He did not seem to have much of an appetite. It was palatable enough to Haruka but he seemed to have no interest in eating. Strange, then, that he would have bothered asking her out to eat.

It was probably useless to ask but she found herself speaking the question anyways. "Is something... wrong?"

He averted his eyes to the window, watching the people pass by outside – the streets bustling and the night filled with the color of city lights. Those lips of his twitched but never actually opened to respond with a proper answer.

Maybe it was foolish to bother. Even if he did have some concerns, it was not like Nishi to share them. Their alliance was temporary anyways. Just until she earned her one-hundred points. Then an idea suddenly popped into her head – even if he did not want to share whatever was bothering him, maybe if she shared something then he would feel more comfortable. Or perhaps it would take his mind off of his concerns altogether.

"I... I don't think Koizumi will last very long," she told him in between bites into her burger. It seemed a senseless thing to say since it was so obvious, but it was a very real concern that Haruka had. How was she supposed to get Koizumi to earn one-hundred points and earn one-hundred for herself as well?

Nishi's gaze turned toward her again, causing her to tense. "If she dies, you can take her place." He said that as though it was supposed to be comforting or uplifting but the effect turned to be the complete opposite. It caused Haruka further anxiety, for it was a very real possibility that Koizumi would not survive their next trip into the Gantz world.

"I don't want that," she protested weakly.

Having finished his food shortly after she finished hers, Nishi suddenly stood and took the tray. "Let's go," he said. It was an abrupt end to their conversation but not an unwanted one.

Side-by-side, they continued down the streets until they got back to Nishi's apartment. As soon as they got in, Nishi headed straight for the bathroom – to shower, Haruka assumed. She settled in front of the television and turned it on. The news was full of the deaths of the very people she had seen earlier that night. Where before it had bothered her to see again the faces of those that had battled in the Gantz world, she now felt nothing seeing their images flash by on the screen.

In the background came the sound of water crashing noisily against tile. It was easily drowned out by the voice of the television announcer as he recited the weather for the next several days. Haruka was scarcely paying attention to any of it. She felt restless, mind weighted down with anxiety. She wondered about Nishi and about Koizumi. What was the future going to bring? She felt so helpless.

She was completely zoned out when Nishi came back out from the shower. Perhaps he had tried to say something to her but she had tuned that out, too. At least until she perceived a hand waving in front of her face. Jerking back, she peered up at the source of the disruption.

"N-Nishi-k–"

"Stop calling me that," he said coldly. He was squatting down in front of her, his hair still damp from his shower. Water was dripping everywhere. Had he not even bothered to dry it? "Here, go shower." He held out a towel toward her.

She took it from him and immediately unfolded it, setting it upon his head. Roughly, she attempted to dry away the water still in his hair. "You can't leave your hair wet, you know." That was probably just an excuse, but Haruka was willing to utilize anything if it meant getting closer to Nishi. Much to her surprise, he did not even make an attempt to stop her. Instead he remained silent until she was satisfied that his hair had been properly dried. By the time she peeled the towel away, his hair had been tousled everywhere. It elicited a small giggle on her behalf.

"Laughing?" It seemed to irritate him. His lips took an unusual downward curl.

"S-should I smooth it out then?" Nervously, she dropped the towel and outstretched her hands toward his hair to try to tame his now-unkempt hair.

Nishi stayed her hands by reaching up and grasping both of her wrists. It was a strange moment, and the sensation of his touch against her skin made her shiver. Being this close to him always made her nervous.

"Sorry," she apologized, assuming he begrudged her for acting too familiarly.

"Don't be reckless." The way he said it stunned her, it was the one of the few times she had seen him exhibit such anger. The statement was further supplied by a glare on his behalf. Certainly he was referring back to their situation in Gantz where he had stepped in to save her.

Yet while she should have been thankful and agreed, Haruka turned indignant. "It doesn't matter what I do!" she bellowed back, struggling to wrench her wrists free. "I'm just a copy anyways. You shouldn't have interfered! Why did you do that?! It was stupid – it's not like you! If I'm reckless you should just treat me like a pawn and –"

In trying to break away from his grasp, she ended up pushing her body weight against his and, being unsteady anyways since he was in a crouching position, Nishi was knocked backwards. Haruka was dragged along with him and collapsed on top of him. They were an awkward, tangled heap and Haruka immediately scrambled to tear herself away, cheeks red as a tomato.

"S-sorry." It seemed like the hundredth time she was stuttering out an apology to him.

Before she could completely pull away from him, he reached out to stop her. His fingers – this time much more gently than before – encircled her forearm, giving her pause. "You can't die before you get one-hundred points."

Her heart had been thumping loudly, almost violently, in her chest. But in that moment it dropped to the pit of her stomach. Of course, she thought, she had to survive and finish accumulating those points so she could fulfill her bargain with him. That was his concern. That was why he wanted her to live, to acquire those points for him so he could have whatever he wished.

"Don't worry, Nishi-kun, I –"

"Don't call me that," he said again with a hint of bitterness.

Haruka had heard him the first time but ignored it. What did he mean by that? Her brows peaked and she wondered – it seemed impossible but maybe... "Then... Can I call you Joichiro-kun?" It seemed presumptuous of her, brazen even, but she took the chance.

Almost immediately he released her arm and recoiled, pulling himself out from under her body. He stood and dusted himself off, averting his eyes.

Since he didn't exactly tell her no, Haruka wondered if that was really what he had been hinting at. Was it possible... he wanted her to call him by his first name rather than his surname? Certainly they knew each other well enough to drop honorifics. They lived together, after all.

"Joichiro-kun?"

"What?" he answered back without looking at her.

"Um... I'll make sure to get those points for you. I know I already agreed. So I won't die or back out before then."

Finally those cold, dark eyes of his gazed back at her. Yet there was something less severe about his expression than usual. He seemed considerably less aloof and austere. Almost gentle, she might have called it. "You still have something to tell me at that time, don't you?"

It was a strange thing to bring up, but Haruka's eyes widened with realization. Was he perhaps not concerned that she would make it through just to contribute those points to him, but rather that the already unspoken words become official? She almost laughed at herself for romanticizing something that was most certainly not there. Nishi was certainly just as much of an enigma as he had always been, yet gradually they were growing closer. Being able to call him by his first name was a sign of that. So rather than take that for granted and hope for more, Haruka felt happy enough for how things were.

She smiled – both out of genuine delight and relief that everything was turning out better than she had feared. "Yeah," Haruka mumbled in agreement. Just a little while longer she had to hold out before she could tell him.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I kind of struggled with this chapter. "You're writing Nishi out of character!" "But it's already Chapter 16, shouldn't there be some kind of development on his behalf? Even if vague?" "How do I write that without botching everything..." Facerolling of the keyboard ensued until I came up with this. ._. Well, it's fiction anyways. I am happy with the chapter regardless. Hope you guys are, too. Thanks for reading!


	17. Connected

**Chapter 17 ; Connected**

"Put more upper arm strength into it."

Sweat had made her palms slick. It almost felt as though the hilt would fly right out of her hands, but she kept her fingers clamped tightly as she lifted the wooden weapon above her head. Moments later it came swinging in a downward arc, with enough force behind it to leave an impressed smile on the instructor's face.

"Very good," he said.

His approval was not enough to satisfy Haruka. She had to get stronger. There was no time for "progress" and "gradual goals" that he had talked about when she first met him several days before. Even as he commended her for how quickly she was picking it up, she pressured herself to master it faster. The art of the sword, however, was not something that could be rushed – despite Haruka's urgency for time.

"That's all for today."

Whenever the class ended, she was left with knots in her stomach, anticipating the next day when the class would resume again. It was only through Koizumi that she had managed to obtain the money to pay and go to such an expensive place. Through this, she hoped to be able to quickly earn her hundred points to repay Nishi and then assist Koizumi in earning enough to wipe her memory and send her back to a normal life. An optimistic plan, at best.

As soon as she was done with her class – which coincidentally started shortly after schools were let out, leaving her unable to see Nishi until later – Haruka headed home. The rest of the day, prior to the start of the class, she spent working as much as she could, to earn enough money to at least contribute to the food expenses. Lest she become a financial burden for Nishi.

The moment she got through the door, she yanked her shoes off and bee-lined for the kitchen. Somehow she had relegated herself to the cooking position, making dinner for the both of them. Nishi made no qualms about what she cooked and obediently ate every meal. Like this they quickly settled into a rather odd routine. Outsiders might have almost likened them to a married couple. At the very least, makeshift as their situation was, they resembled a family.

"The food is done, Joichiro-kun."

He was sitting at the computer, eyes glued to the screen as usual. It was only the tantalizing scent of dinner that managed to drag him away. No doubt his stomach was grumbling just as loud as her own. So he immediately came to the kitchen for his own bowl of rice pilaf. Not the most original or tasty but certainly enough to sate their hunger and quiet their bellies.

Haruka forgot all the etiquette she had observed back home as she shoveled spoonful after spoonful into her mouth while sitting in front of the television. The news played in front of her, recounting the latest happenings in the country. Most of it was grim and considerably depressing yet that did little to rob the smile from her lips.

Nishi settled down beside her to finish his own food. And while there was certainly opportunity for conversation to be exchanged, they both seemed to be comfortable in the silence.

At least until Haruka saw fit to interrupt it. "How is Koizumi doing at school? Good?"

"If you consider shoes filled with toilet water, graffiti on her desk, and being stuck with someone else's cleaning duty daily as 'good,' then yes." He managed that mouthful between bites, never losing that even tone of his that gave no indication as to whether he cared or not.

"Maybe I should–"

"Why bother?" he interrupted. "Unless you want to take your life back."

"No," she dismissed instantly.

The conversation ended there. Nishi had recurrently brought up the subject of her returning to her original position as a member of the Koizumi household but she always refused. After all, that spot was taken by Koizumi herself. Not to add to the fact that Haruka had never been particularly happy there to begin with, which begged the question as to why she would bother pouring all her effort into making sure that Koizumi stayed there – if her life wasn't happy anyways.

Once dinner was over and the dishes were placed in the sink, Haruka settled down on top of Nishi's bed and closed her eyes. Although she just intended to rest for a moment, sleep swept her away quickly. The day had been a tiring one and her restlessness and insomnia in the nights before had been enough to wear her down.

Unfortunately it was not a dreamless slumber; she was plagued with nightmares. They had been haunting her ever since she had killed her aunt. She saw the woman again and again whenever she closed her eyes. Perhaps it was Haruka's aunt cursing her for what she had done. Unforgivable. Disgusting. Tainted. That perfectly described how horrible those nightmares made her feel; so gruesome that, through them, she found herself developing a deep self-loathing.

Then suddenly, just as she felt as though she were suffocating, something startled her awake. With a deafening gasp, her eyes fluttered open and she jolted upright. Although in the process she found that she crashed into something. Her ears perceived something of a stifled groan as her hands flew to her aching forehead, a resounding thud still echoing in her ears.

"Dammit," Nishi cursed in a low growl. "Don't sit up so fast."

She regarded him quizzically until she noticed a red mark on his forehead as he leaned back from the mattress that she had been sprawled out on. Apparently he had been the one to wake her. Now he bore the consequences of those actions.

That curious, imploring look of hers made obvious what she wanted to ask. "You were being noisy," he told her. That explained why he had gone out of his way; clearly not for her benefit but because it had grated on his nerves.

"Sorry," she mumbled meekly. Curling up on the mattress, she flipped over so that she did not have to face him with her embarrassment.

"Scoot over," he commanded suddenly.

That had been more startling than knocking into him when she woke up. The expression on her face was pure befuddlement but she was not about to hesitate and risk being snapped at. So she obediently wiggled to the far side of the already narrow mattress, living only a small margin of space for Nishi to fit.

How late was it, she wondered, that he would already be going to bed? Maybe she had snoozed longer than she had thought. If so, she would undoubtedly spend a while just lying awake with her thoughts wandering aimlessly.

All of a sudden something shocked Haruka out of her reverie and back to reality. An arm – Nishi's – was stretched over her shoulder. Not necessarily holding her but still... Had he placed it there? Surely he was not already asleep? She swallowed hard.

"J-Joichiro-kun?" her pitch had risen with her nervousness as she ventured his name out loud.

No response.

Perhaps he really had fallen asleep but curiosity got the better of her. Gradually, trying not to disturb him in the process, Haruka rolled back onto her other side. By the time she had turned completely, she found two open eyes staring back at her. Definitely not asleep after all. Instead it seemed as though he was waiting. For what, exactly?

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

"Not right now," he replied.

Always so straight to the point without ever really answering what she really wanted to know. Haruka's eyes lowered slowly and found herself staring at his chest – which was actually at her eye level since she had defaulted the pillow to Nishi.

"Um..."

"Stop talking and go back to sleep."

Was that not a little strange to say, given that he had already expressed that his intention was not to go to sleep? Haruka's lips contorted in a frown. She was certain that getting back to sleep was impossible anyways. Why waste the effort try? And why did Nishi lie down if he was not going to...

"Ah..."

"Hn?"

Although it was probably a bit brazen, she pressed herself just a hair closer to him – and then, nervous, she peered up at his face to make sure he was not about to shove her back. She was met with a quirked brow in return but he made no move to put distance between them. So she ventured closer yet. Another timid glance told her that he was giving his wordless permission. After all, his arm was still resting across her shoulder. Why else would he make such physical contact?

Eventually she had managed to close the distance until her face was almost pressed into his chest. Becoming a bit braver, she extended an arm over his side and wrapped it around his back. Even though she was sure that he did not appreciate the close proximity, she felt immense relief just to hear the beating of his heart; reassurance that he was still beside her and would be for some time to come, at least. The heat emanating from his body was enough to coax her to close her eyes again.

"Joichiro-kun?" she whispered.

"What?"

Sleep was tugging persistently at her consciousness and she could already feel it slipping. "I'm really glad... that you're here with me. Please... don't leave me." The last of it was muttered almost incoherently, and had she been fully aware of what it was that she was saying, she might have felt immense mortification.

In the morning when her lashes fluttered open again, she was blinded by the glare of the sun. Already late enough that Nishi had apparently headed for school. Breakfast had to be foregone because she had not woken up in time. This was certainly a first; she was usually awake before him. Yet being so close to him throughout the night had calmed her heart and mind enough that she had settled into a restful sleep. It had been some time since she last woke feeling completely refreshed.

The day proceeded thereafter almost seamlessly. She felt more upbeat than she had in a long time – almost secure despite the precarious position she found herself in. The future was not for certain and yet she kept a smile on despite the misfortune that could be awaiting her.

After work, she started her daily lesson. Blisters had been forming on her hands and while her instructor had advised ointment to treat them, Haruka was loathe to waste the money. She grimaced as soon as she tightened her grip on the wooden katana. Practicing today was certainly going to prove difficult, but she had never let that dissuade her before. She was not about to now, either.

Warm-ups started and once they were finished, the lesson began. Not long after she found herself paired with a young man who seemed infinitely more experienced than herself. He gave an accommodating smile, as though reading her mind.

"Don't worry, I'll hold back."

Her brow twitched in annoyance. Hold back? That was the last thing she needed. But arguing with him would not convince him otherwise. Rather, even though she knew that she could not compare in skill level, she had to somehow force him into using his true capabilities. If she could accomplish that at least once then it would be proof that she was advancing along at an acceptable pace. Certainly her instructor would have argued that point had she voiced it.

Instead she returned the smile with one of her own before falling into position. "Alright, then I will go on the offensive." A steady breath later and she lunged forward. Before herself, she did not see a man dressed in uniform ready to parry. She saw one of those aliens from Gantz poised to take her life. That was how she had to treat him.

His strength easily outmatched her. Moreover, the precision of his blade made it difficult for her to try to outmaneuver him. If she could not outwit a stronger opponent, what hope did she have? Haruka's brow furrowed as she stepped back, taking a defensive stance as she contemplated the situation.

"Haruka-san, do you have a twin?" The instructor abruptly asked as he interrupted their duel.

She blinked back her surprise at the inquiry. "Huh? W-why would you ask such a thing...?"

"Oh, you have a visitor," he explained.

It could be none other than Koizumi. Had she also come here to take up lessons? Haruka exhaled slowly and lowered her katana, giving her opponent a hasty bow. "Thank you. I will go see who it is." She offered a parting smile before heading to the front entrance of their small facility. No surprise that when she reached the front door, Koizumi was standing there waiting – wringing her hands nervously.

"Oh, Haru-san," she greeted. 'Haru' was the name that Koizumi had given her – a nickname for her real one, since Haruka had refused to be called 'Haruka,' insisting that it was a name that no longer belonged to her.

"Did you need something from me? Or are you wanting to start lessons here too?"

The latter of the two questions left the other girl flabbergasted. "W-what? No, no... I don't think I could take lessons here. I mean, I don't... it doesn't suit me." Ironic considering her perfect counterpart was standing right in front of her doing the very thing she swore she could not.

"Then?"

"Actually, I know this probably is not the most appropriate place to address this." Her voice lowered to that of a whisper. "It's just... After you came and told me about everything, there is something that I wanted to tell you." Only a few short days after the last Gantz mission, Haruka had specifically sought Koizumi out to explain everything. She needed to know. And to Haruka's surprise, Koizumi had received the news without falling apart in despair. Instead she seemed to bear a burden of guilt – knowing that Haruka had sacrificed so much for her benefit.

"Yeah? What is it?" Despite the fact that Koizumi's actions seemed well-intentioned, Haruka was growing impatient. All she wanted to do was pour her everything into the short amount of time she had to train every day. Having that disrupted was incredibly frustrating.

"I know this is just an 'if,' but... if I die, I want you to take my place. You will, won't you?"

"You are not going to die," Haruka snarled back irritably.

Koizumi frowned. "I know. I am not trying to take for granted everything that you and Nishi-kun have done, but... I wanted to tell you how I feel. And if you ever want to switch places with me now – I... I would owe you that much."

"Shut up and leave." Haruka made a shooing gesture before turning her back on Koizumi and heading back into the depths of the building. She hadn't the patience to listen to such depressing drivel. Haruka gritted her teeth together in frustration. Koizumi was already contemplating her death?

After finishing her lesson, she returned to the apartment. The muscles in her arms had grown painfully sore from excessive use. Even her hands had become bloody from wielding that wooden sword far too much. She had gone to great lengths to avoid her instructor noticing but he was far too perceptive to be so easily fooled. After a lengthy lecture, she was told not to return for several days and let her hands heal.

Pointless, she thought, because the men there would not have been given the same advice. Surely her instructor had just given this advisement because she was a woman and her hands had once been smooth and beautiful. He probably thought it a shame that they were now so marred and ugly.

Haruka was mildly shocked when she returned. She had grown accustomed to seeing a pair of shoes at the front entrance, signifying that Nishi had returned from school. However, they were suspiciously absent. For a moment she considered wandering back out to find him, but she could easily guess that she would be rebuked by him for it. Even though it was a rare occurrence, she could not say that he had never been late returning before.

Dismissing it, she bee-lined for the bathroom to shower. Better to bide a bit of time and be clean before he returned. In the meantime she could contemplate what to cook for dinner. Her meager skills left them with narrow options. She was sure he must have been tired of miso and rice balls. Perhaps curry? A part of her wished that, rather than lessons with a sword, she could take cooking lessons. If she were still Haruka Koizumi, however, her grandfather would have forbidden it anyways.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, still drying her hair with a towel, she noticed that the apartment was eerily quiet, where the night before it had been filled with the tapping of keys as Nishi worked tirelessly at his computer. The chair was empty, however, and he was still nowhere in sight.

Just as her excessive worrying was beginning to get the best of her, the front door audibly cracked open. Cautiously she ventured to the front hallway and peered around the corner. Paranoia on her part that it might be someone else – but she instantly relaxed the moment she spotted him removing his shoes, a convenience store bag in his hand.

"Welcome home."

The sound of her voice prompted him to look up. "I'm back." The words seemed to come out almost habitually rather than consciously. Immediately after they were spoken he strode toward her and held out the sack in her direction.

Surprised at the gesture, Haruka accepted it from him and rummaged through the contents while he headed toward the computer. It was filled with mostly simple cooking ingredients – rice, which they had been running low on. Another loaf of bread for the morning. It would be miso again that night, much as Haruka would have liked to make something more complex.

When she settled down in front of the television to eat, Haruka found that holding the spoon came with great difficulty. She could not help wincing as she struggled to keep a steady grip. Her hand was so calloused and blistered that she found it almost impossibly painful to eat. At last she had forsake the spoon and bowl altogether, setting it on the floor beside her in favor of watching the news. Her stomach growled in protest but her hands had already started to bleed. Perhaps she was beginning to see that her instructor's advisement was not without merit.

Nishi, on the other hand, sat silently beside her as he normally did and gradually consumed his bowl. He gave the impression of either not noticing or not caring that she could not finish hers. No doubt that was the least of his worries.

Haruka could hardly hide her disappointment that they had exchanged no words during the course of their meal. He was unusually despondent and she spent far too much time just trying to think of something to bring up that might elicit some interest from him. It seemed to be no use.

And finally he stood up and took his bowl to the sink. That ended the opportunity for conversation, she was sure. He would head straight for the computer as usual. Although, just as she thought that, he deviated from his usual course and headed toward the bathroom. For a shower, she assumed.

Moments later, however, his head popped back out in the main room and he slowly approached her, kneeling down in front of her. Haruka hardly had time to react before he reached gently toward her and took one of her hands in his.

"Wha...?" she squeaked in surprise.

Without responding, he started applying ointment to the sores covering her skin. "You should have treated this sooner," he said reproachfully.

Haruka blinked back her surprise at those words. Why would he say such a thing? Out of concern? Maybe that was too much to hope for but she found herself smiling regardless.

He seemed to notice the strange look she was giving him. "What?" Nishi asked almost accusingly as he reached for her other hand.

She quickly shook her head and said, "Nothing... Thank you."

There was a pause of consideration as though he was still not fully convinced that it was "nothing." However, as soon as he was done applying the ointment he withdrew his hands from her and stood up. "I will get some bandages," he said quietly.

For Haruka, it was strange to see him like this. As though he was dropping his guard for the first time. She had always gotten the impression that Nishi was out for himself and no one else. Yet in the past few days since their last mission, that seemed to contradict completely how he was acting toward her. Perhaps she was putting too much thought into it. Or maybe there was a distinct possibility that he cared about her more than he let on.

That the latter of the two even crossed her mind left her heart pounding erratically as she sat there waiting for Nishi to return. So wrapped up in her thoughts, she barely noticed even as he wrapped up both of her hands.

"There," he said as he finished. But then rather than leaving immediately as she might have expected, Nishi just sat there holding her gaze.

Being at such close proximity, she found her embarrassment was only exacerbated; her cheeks flaring red. "U-um," she stuttered, trying to find some words to dispel the awkwardness of the situation. "Is there something...?"

"Koizumi visited you today," he said suddenly.

That he knew was a bit of a shock to Haruka. Her mind immediately turned toward jealousy and bitterness as she recalled the date that Koizumi and Nishi had shared. And she somehow wondered what kind of relationship they shared when they were at school together. It was silly, she knew, for she and Koizumi were one in the same. Sighing to herself, she gave a jerky nod. "Yeah, she came by."

Nishi stared at her expectantly as though waiting for her to elaborate.

"Something about me taking her place if she dies," Haruka explained hastily as she broke Nishi's gaze, averting her eyes to the empty space between them. "It was just nonsense. She probably doesn't have much confidence about surviving and that was why, but..."

"No," he suddenly interrupted in a grave tone. "I told her to talk to you."

She regarded him quizzically. "What? Why would...?" Immediately her mind started racing and she imagined the worst. "Are you anxious for her to die? Do you want her gone so you can get rid of me? So I'll leave and go back where I belong?" Although she had been worrying about it for some time, she had not openly spoken about her own anxiety. It came out like word vomit before she even realized what she was saying. And immediately after, Haruka wanted to take it all back. She feared that he would confirm it, despite how desperately she hoped he would deny it.

Instead she felt a weight press down on her head – it was his hand, ruffling her hair. And while he did not open his mouth to speak in dissent of her accusations, his actions were enough to provide some measure of reassurance for her.

"Joichiro-kun, I..." her voice trailed off. Desperately – she wanted to just tell him how she felt, even though she knew that she had agreed to wait.

"Hm?" His brows rose questioningly at her.

Without a moment of hesitation, Haruka suddenly leaned in toward him. Her eyelids closed just as their lips met, and it was there that she lingered for a moment. Even if she could not say it, she could still convey her feelings to him. She would not begrudge him even if he did not reciprocate.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> There is so much Nishi x Haruka fluff in here, I don't even... at least as close to fluff as I can probably write. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for the reviews, by the way, I was really kind of worried about the last chapter. Hearing from you guys made me feel a lot better about how things are developing.


	18. Degeneration

**Chapter 18 ; Degeneration**

She adjusted her grip on the hilt of her katana, fingers drumming across it as she lurched forward. Speed accelerated by the Gantz suit, she appeared like a flash. Her eyes focused on her intended target and not but a moment later, her katana carved a silver arc through her opponent. Blood sprayed across the concrete. A few stray droplets landed across her face.

The metallic liquid that seeped in through her cracked lips had an almost intoxicating effect. She took an unsteady inhale as she lifted her blade to study it. It was drenched in the sickening green fluid that was pouring out of the collapsed carcass of the alien she had just slaughtered.

Everything around her smelled of carnage. She loved it, lived for it. What her life had degenerated into, she neither contemplated nor cared. The training she had been undergoing had been amazingly helpful in honing her ability with the sword.

"H-Haru-san, I can't... hardly... keep up with you," Koizumi wheezed as she approached from behind.

"You should be using your suit," Haruka instructed gruffly as she gave her sword a shake to clear off the remnants of her kill.

"That's easier said than done... I should conserve it as much as possible, right? I-In case we get separated or..."

Ignoring the muttering of her counterpart, Haruka took a sweeping glance of their surroundings. All enemies in the nearby area had been easily dispatched. Their main target had yet to be located, though she suspected Nishi was on the trail. There was little point in lingering here any longer.

"Let's go."

"A-ah, wait for me!" Koizumi called after her.

The feel of the night's breeze caressing her cheeks was almost as euphoric as the scent of blood hanging heavily in the air. She was not sure when or how she had lost all sense of reason – of being "normal." Recently, the more she found herself called into the Gantz, the more she found herself unable to return to the monotony of everyday life, cooped up in Nishi's apartment or otherwise working for paltry wages.

She had started to think of her existence outside of Gantz as pathetic. Living as Koizumi's shadow was something almost unbearable. It was only when asked to kill that she found herself useful. Strange, she realized, when killing was the last thing she would have ever guessed she would be good at just six months ago.

Bubbling in the pit of her stomach was a self-hatred that she could scarcely ignore. Something within her still recognized that her personality was twisted beyond recognition – that this was not who she wanted to be. All the same, she had given up on trying to stop herself from degenerating.

"Hm, the ground is shaking... seems like it is coming from that direction?" she mumbled to herself, casting her gaze toward the area where it seemed to originate.

"C-couldn't it just be an earthquake?"

Haruka clicked her tongue at the ridiculousness of such a suggestion. While natural disasters were not out of the realm of possibility, it seemed more likely that she would find her target by heading toward the source of the ruckus. No doubt Nishi would be doing the same.

It did not take long for her to spot more hostiles for her to train her blade on. She rushed into battle without pause, refusing to wait for Koizumi. "More," she found herself chanting, "More... more..." Her thirst was insatiable. She needed more points. The more she killed, the more points she would have. That was all the meaning that remained in her life – fulfilling her obligation to Nishi.

In the back of her mind, she hoped desperately that after she had managed that much, that fate would show her the mercy of death. Dying would be more comfortable than turning into any more of a monster than she already had. Desperation had clawed away at the final traces of her humanity until all that was left was a shell of her former self. Haruka was no longer able to recognize her own reflection. It was a stranger staring at her in the mirror.

The end – she just wanted to see the end.

Too absorbed in her killing spree, she scarcely noticed that she had torn her left hand open during the battle. At least until Koizumi pointed it out with a gasp. Haruka analyzed the wound with a critical eye, only to dismiss it. "It's only a tear. Not life threatening." Although it did make it difficult for her to grasp the hilt with both hands.

"Haru-san, I... I think you should stop and rest. There's no rush, right? We still have plenty of time, don't we?"

Haruka entirely ignored the suggestion. She dragged her body forward, even with the crimson liquid dripping from the fresh wound on her hand. The pain only reassured her that she was alive. It was all she could do to relish in these sensations, for they would vanish the moment she was transported back by Gantz.

—

"One more," she remarked upon seeing her point count. It would only take one more visit to Gantz to earn the last of her points. Such a thought seemed so surreal – and she was not really sure it even mattered. One more time or twenty, what would change except the odds of her survival? The more she made it through alive, the more likely it seemed that her winning streak would continue.

"That's really good, Haru-san," Koizumi congratulated with a nervous smile.

Nishi, in the meantime, had passed sixty points himself. It would not be much longer and he would have both her hundred points to spend as well as his own. Koizumi lingered behind with a meager dozen, though Haruka had every intention of ensuring that number would climb dramatically once she repaid Nishi.

The deaths of their faceless, nameless comrades hardly fazed her anymore. They were little more than cannon fodder as far as she was concerned. Although the most annoying of them had managed to survive thus far. The busty woman – Haruka had still yet to learn her name, nor did she particularly care to.

"Let's go."

She followed Nishi's lead, ducking out of the apartment and following him along the sidewalk. They parted ways quickly with Koizumi. It had become a habit for the two of them to stop for something to eat after a successful Gantz mission. She settled into a table while he headed to the counter to order for them.

Their relationship was not something she could figure out. What were they exactly? Was that even something she should bother to concern herself with when there were more pressing matter at hand? Haruka breathed a stifled sigh, pressing her hand over her mouth. The sight of her form-fitting Gantz suit earned her a few curious, probing glances but a glare pointed in their direction and they turned their heads away.

She relaxed against the back of the booth, eyes fluttering shut. Exhaustion was creeping in on her, but not the kind that could be easily thwarted by sleep. It was something that lingered, that seeped into every fiber of her being and weighed her down like an anchor. Maybe she was tired of Gantz? Unlikely – she thrived on the euphoria that the near-death experiences now brought her. More likely it was how anticlimactic everyday life had become.

The noise of the tray settling down against the table prompted her to stir and she lazily straightened herself. Nishi settled in across from her and quietly started on his meal without attempting to appeal to her for conversation. He seemed content as ever to the silence.

"When I get one-hundred points, you want a new weapon, right?" she asked absently as she reached for her food.

His lips tightened into a contemplative frown and he seemed to abandon his food in favor of thought. "Of course. I'll need a better weapon to finish earning one-hundred points myself," he finally said in a harsher voice than she expected. Yet for how much she anticipated that answer, he did not seem to give it to her honestly. There was something in the expression on his face that did not convince her.

It had been a while since she had kissed him. Weeks, she suspected, though she had lost track of time. Little had been mentioned in regard to it and he seemed just as content to pretend that it had never happened. She was inclined to believe her feelings were not reciprocated.

Perhaps, she thought glumly, that was for the best. For all she had left to live for – the only purpose that remained – was to finish accumulating points so that she could repay her debt. Then she would spend the remainder of whatever time she had, trying to help Koizumi reach one-hundred. If she accomplished that much, she was content to die. The thought of not existing anymore no longer fazed her. Not when she had been entirely replaced by Koizumi anyways.

"Finished?"

Through the fog of her own thoughts, she barely registered Nishi posing the question. She gave a vague nod, realizing that she had already finished most of her food. In the daze she found herself in most of the time, she did not really feel much of an appetite. Eating had little impact on her happiness, and gnawing hunger was something she had grown capable of tolerating on a daily basis.

"Joichiro-kun," she called out his name when they returned to the streets. He paused to glance back and her. Haruka held out her hand expectantly, although she realized the likelihood of rejection was all too high. She had little to lose, she figured, and something about tonight had her feeling exceptionally lonely.

"You're tired?"

Her brows lifted in surprise at that question. "Huh? Oh... I guess so..."

He took her hand in his and their fingers threaded together. It was a rare experience but she took comfort in the contact. His expression remained unreadable the entire time, though he did not seem too keen on making their connected hands visible to the public.

When they finally returned to the apartment, Nishi headed straight for the shower. Left to her own devices, Haruka settled down in front of the television. Another news program relaying the meaningless deaths of the very people whose faces she had seen just a few hours ago in the Gantz room.

At the thought of it, she glanced down at her left hand. It had been torn clear to the bone not long ago. Yet now it had been completely repaired and all that remained was a few callouses. She felt empty as her gaze lingered on the wound that was no longer there. Something – she needed something to feel alive again... something to clear away the emptiness she felt.

Without realizing it, she had somehow made her way into the kitchen. In the next moment she found that her right hand held a steady grip on the hilt of one of the knives. The sharp gleam of the blade was blinding against the reflection of light that shone in her eyes. Her own foolish idea got the best of her as she tested it against the palm of her left hand. It took a little force before bright red beadlets bubbled to the surface.

The pain was not as exhilarating as she had hoped. Rather, it gave her only a numb sense of awareness. It was enough to awaken her but not adequate to make her feel truly alive. The void remained. Maybe it would take actually killing something... or someone... to regain that feeling.

Suddenly, she felt something grasp at the collar of her suit. The force knocked the knife from her hand, sending it clattering to the floor as she found herself whipped around to meet Nishi's angry gaze. Never before had she seen him glare so fiercely.

"What are you doing?!" he demanded.

That was also the first time she had heard such emotion in his voice. And he seemed almost out of breath? His hair was still wet and had not been dried. He was wearing little more than underwear, she noticed. Upon that thought, she gulped and jerked her head up to meet his gaze. "I... was just..."

His eyes focused on the wound on her hand. "You cut yourself?" What was with the disappointment in his voice? The desperation? She had never heard his tone tinged with such emotion. "You aren't thinking about killing yourself?" Those eyes of his glared at her with enough power to silence.

Still she managed to choke out, "No... I wasn't going to–"

His arms wrapped around her and cinched against her body, pulling Haruka against him. She found herself almost suffocated against his bare chest, cheeks flaring as she realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Although that thought melted away when she heard him mumble, "Don't do the same thing as my mom." It took her a moment to realize the weight of those words.

Gently, she reciprocated his embrace, though the warmth of his bare skin against her palms left her feeling a bit self-conscious. There were words she thought to offer him but she pursed her lips instead. Promises were meaningless if she could not keep them. Although unspoken, they both realized how much they had come to rely upon one another.

Still, although she knew he would begrudge her for it, she could not help but allow her gaze to wander to the knife that had been thrown to the corner of the kitchen floor. There was a thin streak of blood coloring the edge of the blade. Something about it had undeniable allure.

—

It was the early hours of the morning, or so she assumed. The sun was peering in through the cracks in the curtains. A heavy weight had placed itself across her shoulders in the form of Nishi's arm, which she suspected was purposefully draped over her. Through the night he seemed intent on keeping her close. Perhaps he was now paranoid that she had some designs to end her miserable existence. And while that was not out of the realm of her consideration, she had no immediate desire to commit suicide.

"Joichiro-kun...?"

"What?" It seemed less a question and more a demand – as though he was annoyed to have her calling out his name. Certainly sleep still weighed heavily on his eyelids but it was a weekday. If he loitered much longer, he would be late for school.

"Don't you need to leave soon?"

Despite being awake enough to peel himself away, he kept an arm securely wrapped around her. "I'm not going today," he finally answered. His eyelids fluttered closed again as he nestled back against their shared pillow. He seemed content enough to return to sleep.

Perhaps he was just exhausted. She tried to tell herself that. The day that progressed thereafter, however, was somewhat strange. Nishi lingered close every time she entered the kitchen as though he was suspicious about her every action. Haruka was beginning to wonder if, perhaps, he was purposefully skipping school to keep an eye on her.

At first she felt ill at ease and unable to broach the subject with him. How could she possibly mention that he was suffocating her by hanging over her all the time? A part of her was grateful to receive such attention. But ultimately, she knew she was receiving it for the wrong reasons. It was all his paranoia.

By that night when she was characteristically seated in front of the television, Nishi was busily typing away at his computer. Her gaze lingered on him for some time though he did not seem to notice. In the back of her mind, she wondered exactly what had happened to his mother. Beyond knowing that it was suicide, there was little that he has disclosed to her about his past.

"Haruka," he said suddenly, waking her from her daze. "Let's go out."

"Go out? For dinner?" she asked in surprise. Was he trying to sidestep the possibility that she might cook something that would require her to handle a knife? Perhaps it was worth posing the question after all. "Joichiro-kun... um... is the reason you want to go out..." The words sat at the back of her tongue but she could not find the nerve to speak them.

"Come."

Obediently, she followed his command. Both donned a jacket before heading out into the cool night. The chilling wind seemed content to cling to her cheeks and exposed ears. Haruka let out a shaky breath as she silently followed behind Nishi. Her fingers felt numb even as she jammed them into her pockets. Rubbing her hands together furiously did little to provide any heat either, much to her chagrin.

As though he had noticed her shivering, Nishi suddenly came to a stop and turned to face her. Considering Haruka had lingered a few feet behind as she had been trailing after him, she stopped just short of where he was standing, leaving a marginal gap between them.

"U-um...?"

"Is it Koizumi?" he asked suddenly.

"What? What do you..."

"If you stop protecting her, she will die. She won't make it long in Gantz. You can take her place."

Where was this conversation coming from? Her brows furrowed. "I don't want her to die. That's why I'm here to begin with–"

"Then why do you want to die?" he challenged back.

So that was what this was all about. A muted sigh passed through her lips as she brought her hands up toward her face. A breath of hot air against them brought little reprieve from the cold. She was really just biding time to think of her answer, but Nsihi interrupted her by taking both of her hands into his. The warmth that came over her chilled skin elicited a shiver as she looked up at him questioningly.

"You haven't repaid your debt."

Was that the reason why he was concerned over all of this? Was it just her imagination – that she thought she was important enough for him to draw a parallel between her and his mother? She smiled sardonically and yanked her hands away from him. "Don't worry, I have no plans on dying until I have earned one-hundred points. You'll get your weapon like I promised." This seemed oddly reminsicent of a similar conversation that they had had before.

Suddenly she felt something warm press against her skin as Nishi cupped her cheeks. Haruka took a sharp inhale as she stared into his eyes. Closer and closer – the distance between them was rapidly disappearing, until she felt his lips against hers. They were cold at first, chilled by the the night's air, perhaps. But gradually they felt warm and... strangely gentle.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Sorry for the late update. They may continue to be somewhat slow. There's not that many chapters left though so hopefully I find the motivation to finish. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for the reviews!


	19. Betrayal

**Chapter 19 ; Betrayal**

Warmth – it was the first time she had ever woken up cradled in the embrace of someone else. The strength of his arms had caused her to stir, though she froze almost as soon as she realized that his breathing was steady enough to indicate that he was still sleeping.

Haruka smiled against the fabric of his shirt, her face pressed into his chest. There probably was not any particular meaning behind it. They had been sharing the same bed for weeks and, as a result, he had probably grown accustomed enough to her presence that he had let his guard down. There was little hope that he was holding her intentionally.

But when she thought about the kiss he gave her, it stirred within Haruka some hope that perhaps he shared her feelings. Maybe she was getting a little ahead of herself. It was equally possible that he realized how she felt and was manipulating her out of fear that she would abandon him – he had already mentioned as much before.

_"Don't do the same thing as my mom."_

She closed her eyes and for a moment she could hear the steady beating of his heart. It was comforting. Enough that she was gradually being lulled back into sleep, at least until she heard an audible yawn above her.

"Morning," she greeted meekly as he peered up at him.

Those dark, empty eyes glared back at her as he immediately removed his arms from around her and sat up abruptly. His gaze eventually wandered to the clock and with a grunt he finally peeled himself out from the blanket, stepping over her to venture to the bathroom.

Despite his absence, there was a lingering warmth in the spot he had been occupying. She curled up in his place, wrapping the duvet around her body. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she managed, somehow, to drift off again. Nightmares had subsided to some degree, if only because she felt comforted to be in his presence every night.

Haruka found herself roused some time later by the noisy tapping of keys. Curious, she peered over at the clock before directing her attention over toward where Joichiro was seated at his computer. "You aren't going to school again today?" she wondered out loud.

"No. There isn't much time until we're called back to Gantz again."

He was certainly right about that, and given how many points she had gained in the preceding weeks, it was likely she could hit one-hundred. Though that hardly mattered to Haruka anymore. While she anticipated the excitement that could only be felt in Gantz, where her survival entirely depended upon instincts, skill, and the sword in her hands – she had also begun to feel apathetic about it. In fact, she found herself steadily feeling more and more empty.

Gantz had begun to be the only thing capable of fulfilling her but even that was starting to grow tiresome. One-hundred points held little meaning to her anymore. Living had little purpose since she had failed in what she had set out to achieve.

As she sat up, she gazed down at the palms of her hands. They were beset by blisters and callouses but she had long grown accustomed to them. Somehow her hands almost felt empty when they were not gripping the hilt of a katana.

"Breakfast," Joichiro said suddenly.

She jerked her head. "Huh?"

Without responding verbally, he pointed to the kitchen.

Haruka smiled bitterly to herself. Was that supposed to be his way of asking her to make them something to eat? Not that she particularly minded – her stomach felt a bit empty as well. "Okay, it'll just be a few minutes."

It took some effort to drag herself into the kitchen. And it was only while she was absently shuffling through the drawers therein that she suddenly realized something. _Wasn't this the drawer with the cutting knives?_ Puzzled that it suddenly appeared empty, she tried the drawer below it but even the scissors had disappeared.

Slowly she started to register the reason, and almost immediately she traipsed into the main room. "Joichiro-kun," she addressed in a voice more stern than she had ever employed with him in the past.

He gazed lazily over at her. "What is it?"

"You took all of the knives out of the kitchen, didn't you?" Haruka asked accusingly.

"I did. Do you have a problem?" The way he cocked his head was a clear indication that he had no intention of changing his mind. And while it was not a particularly pertinent, it did touch a sensitive spot for Haruka.

She knew it would be easier to let it go and forget it but... "Don't you trust me?" The words came out without her even taking a moment to think on them. Stupid, she berated, because she already knew the answer. And it would hurt even more to hear it from his lips.

"Of course I don't trust you," he told her, as though i t was absurd for her to think otherwise.

Her heart panged painfully. "Then..." Haruka pursed her lips. There was another question she wanted to ask but there was little point in voicing it. _Then why did you kiss me?_ She already knew the answer. At least, she could guess it.

"You can cook breakfast without them."

"Yeah..." It was not within her to contest the situation, even if she found herself silently ruminating about it. In fact, the entire time she was hovering in the kitchen, her mind was racing with suspicious thoughts. Paranoia was beginning to seep in.

_If he doesn't trust me then does that mean...?_

Haruka swallowed back the lump in her throat. As much as she tried to convince herself that his motivation for kissing her, for staying with her, for being as doting as he had been lately – was all a product of him reciprocating her feelings, it seemed unlikely. No, impossible. Too much to hope for.

And the more she was left to the silence, with Joichiro preoccupied on his computer, the more she started to question. It was not enough for him to humor her occasionally. Once she started taking time to really think through the past few months, she started to piece everything together in her mind.

He had been purposefully avoiding her attempts to confess. He continually put her off, again and again, pushing her to make those one-hundred points. Was that all her life was worth to him, in the end? Of course, such thoughts were nonsensical. She immediately discounted them by reminding herself that it was Joichiro who had put himself in harms way to save her before.

_Unless..._

Unless he knew that the blow would not be fatal. But how could he have known? Was he just willing to take the risk? Did the points mean that much to him? Her mind raced with the possibilities and it took a moment before she even realized that her entire body was trembling.

"Is it finished?"

The sound of his voice calling out to her shook her from her thoughts. "Yeah... almost."

A sudden knock on the door managed to rouse Joichiro out of his chair just as she was venturing over to hand him his plate. He brushed by without saying a word. In his absence, Haruka settled down in front of the television, thumbing down the volume so she could listen in on the conversation. It sounded like the landlady's voice. Haruka barely caught something along the lines of the rent being overdue.

It did not take long for her to hear the door nudge shut, followed shortly by Joichiro's footsteps as he appeared back in the main room – though he only popped his head in. "I have to go somewhere. I will be back soon. Don't leave the apartment."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just stay here," he answered hastily before turning his back and hurrying out the front door. There was an audible click as he locked it behind him.

Haruka spent a few minutes staring at the television screen before she set her plate aside and wandered over to his computer. It was wrong to peek but he had seemed so secretive. Yet just as she reached for the mouse, to clear away the screensaver, she thought better of it. He hardly had any privacy with her living with him anyways.

Instead she wandered over to the bed and climbed on top of it, wading through the tangle of covers to get to the window. Peering through the shades, she managed to get a glimpse at the street below. Much to her surprise, what she saw was none other than Koizumi – dressed in her school uniform – talking with Joichiro.

"Why is she...?" Her brows furrowed.

And then the voice of paranoia resounded in her head. _Of course, she is a perfect copy. But she actually has an identity. She doesn't mindlessly kill people. She's not broken like me._

No, that was wrong. Koizumi was not a copy. She was the original. Haruka was the phony – the copy that was somehow artificially created by Gantz. The only similarity was their appearance, and even that had grown somewhat estranged, given how much weight Haruka had lost. Even her face seemed more bony and weary than her counterpart.

"She's... prettier than me. She has more money."

_I could take her place if she died._

A horrible feeling invaded her gut. She felt nauseous. It was suffocating, and it was all Haruka could do to peel herself away from the window, covering her mouth. Even though she knew that she had no right, she hated seeing the two of them meet.

Although she had just managed to tear her gaze away, she found her curiosity bubbling over. And she peered out the window one more time. Haruka told herself it was for the sake of reassurance, because she knew that there could be nothing–

Except... she saw it. Koizumi had suddenly closed the distance between the two of them and had her arms thrown around Joichiro. And while it did not appear that he was reciprocating, Haruka did not allow her gaze to linger long enough to find out if he eventually did or not.

Her hands were shaking even as she pressed her palms over her eyes. That was the one thing she never wanted to see. Joichiro in the arms of someone else – but worse than that, in the arms of Koizumi. Haruka did not even have the right to feel jealous.

She sat curled on the bed with her head in her hands for some time. Even when the locks unlatched and the door cracked open, she did not even flinch. Nor did she register the blur of motion as he passed in front of her and returned to his seat. In fact, he seemed perfectly content to ignore her presence as well.

Suddenly she scooted to the edge of the mattress and bypassed the plate on the floor, beelining for the closet. She rummaged through it and pulled out her Gantz suit. Only briefly did her gaze cross over Joichiro, who was peering over at her with some semblance of intrigue.

Just as she started for the front hallway, he called out to her. "Haruka?" She could hear the audible creak of him standing from his chair, but she did not turn back to look at him. Instead, she proceeded almost robotically to the front hall, slipping on her borrowed shoes. Without a word, she opened the door and closed it behind her, even though she could hear the echo of footsteps as he chased after her.

By the time she managed to clamber down the stairs, she could hear the noisy pursuit of Joichiro hurrying after her. It was almost ironic how he seemed so panicked to chase her down. Was that also because he was desperate for the points, especially now that she was so close to paying him back?

She barely started down the street when she felt a hand seize her by the shoulder and sharply jerk her backward. A few stumbling steps and she bumped into his chest, but Haruka remained steadfast despite the painfully strong grip he maintained.

"Where are you going." It was not a question.

There was a short pause before she glanced back at him. Her hand clenched into a tight fist and suddenly she swung it at him. It connected before he even seemed to register what was happening. A crack resounded through the otherwise quiet neighborhood and he took a few steps back, covering his face with his hand.

Blood splattered against the pavement. Her eyes lingered on it before shifting up to his face. A trail of crimson was streaming between the cracks of his fingers as he covered his nose. His brows were furrowed as he stared at her, expression riddled a mixture of confusion and surprise.

Her knuckles felt surprisingly sore after. Was this what it was like to deliver a normal punch? She had been utilizing her Gantz suit so much that she had forgotten that her own strength was rather pathetic – granted she had toned her muscles some from sword practice.

_Traitor. He betrayed me._

Haruka's thoughts had taken a strange course, but ultimately she had convinced herself that even with Joichiro – it was only a matter of time. He, too, would abandon her once she had outlived her usefulness. His protective tendencies were only a result of his fear that she would abandon him before fulfilling her promise.

"Stay away from me," she managed to measure the words out with an even tone. Then, without a pause, she turned with a flutter of dark hair and started off down the street. And this time, he made no move to pursue her.

—

It was uncharacteristically quiet in the subway when she settled down for the night. The other homeless people scarcely gave her a glance. The station was a natural hub for them, curled up in sleeping bags if they could find them. She had passed many makeshift houses – tents, more or less, tarps strewn over styrofoam and whatever other materials people could scrape together to construct themselves a shelter.

All she had was the sweater on her back and the Gantz suit she had donned on the off chance that she would be summoned to the room. Still, it proved a bit nippy even with her jacket. And unlike everyone else, she had neither the money nor the opportunity to secure herself so much as a blanket. Instead she huddled herself in an empty corner, attempting to take up as little space as possible while shrinking into the background where her presence would not pique the interest of wandering eyes.

Left to the solitude of her own thoughts, she wondered if she might not go insane. She had been replaying the events from earlier numerous times. The look on Joichiro's face after she landed that punch – she could not read it. She could not fathom what he was thinking.

But she had already convinced herself that her only remaining purpose was to fulfill their promise. It gave her little motivation, however. She found herself more or less going through the motion anymore. What did anything matter when she looked at what she had become? Survive, survive – that was all she had paid attention to. Get revenge, make sure Koizumi was safe.

The more she was left to her thoughts, the more the paranoia grew, the more her own despair threatened to consume her. She started to question – if she was a mere copy of Koizumi, then naturally everything she felt was all a product of Koizumi's feelings. How much of it belonged to her and how much of it was just copied over to her? She could no longer distinguish between the two. Maybe even her love for Joichiro stemmed from emotions that had been artificially recreated along with the rest of her.

Although her thoughts were in turmoil, once the lights had shut off in the station, she found herself starting to nod off. It was probably only a short time later that she found herself roused by an odd tingling that started at the tips of her feet and fingers. There was a moment of confusion until she realized – Gantz was starting again.

And by the time she had materialized within the confines of the small apartment, it seemed that both Joichiro and Koizumi had already appeared. Blue irises gazed at the two figures languidly before Haruka finally turned her eyes away. She sunk to the edge of the room, leaning her back against the wall as she waited for the rest of the participants to make their appearance.

"Um, Haru-san..."

She lifted a hand, motioning for Koizumi to stop. "Don't talk to me." It was only a shame that Gantz did not offer them weapons immediately. Haruka was eager to feel the weight of a katana in her hands again; without it, she felt unsafe – incomplete.

"It's just, I heard from Nishi-kun and I thought you might have seen us and misunderstood."

_Misunderstood?_ She inclined her head. "I don't see that there is anything to misunderstand. But it doesn't matter – I'll get one-hundred points this time. So just stay out of my way. If you get in my way this time, I _will_ kill you." Her words dripped with loathing.

"I-I understand... I know I only make it more difficult for you to try and look out for me, too. I'll try to be more useful this time."

"No... not just you. If anyone gets in my way." Haruka glowered over at Joichiro and abruptly thrust her finger in his direction. "You, too. If you get in my way... I will kill you, too." Whether it was an empty threat or not was unclear. But one thing was for certain, at least in Haruka's mind. If even her feelings and emotions were copied from Koizumi, she had no use hanging on to them. She was tired of being a shadow, of feeling like a cheap knock off. Perhaps it was survival instinct; if it meant destroying everything she had once placed value in, she would build a new identity on top of the rubble of the old.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> I am going to take a guess here and say one more chapter and an epilogue possibly to end the series orz

Anyways, sorry for the wait and thanks for reading. Uni is keeping me pretty busy.


	20. Sacrifice

**Author's Note:** Remember when I said last chapter that there would be one more chapter and an epilogue? Well, that was a lie. There will probably be 1-2 more chapters after this one and _maybe_ an epilogue. I am still debating.

Sorry for taking so long to update. I even promised someone I would update back in August and that obviously didn't happen. Thanks to someone messaging me about the series on Tumblr, I actually found some motivation to finish this chapter. I hope to update again much sooner than last time but you all know how that goes.

Thank you guys for all the support, for the wonderful reviews, and hopefully you continue to enjoy the series as I make a snails pace at trying to wrap it up. ;A;

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20 - Sacrifice<strong>

"Are... are you worried about Haru-san, too?" She had been chasing after him ever since they had been transported. Although Nishi usually opted for invisible camouflage, preferring to lurk in the background and strike when an opportunity presented itself, this time was different. Abandoned by Haruka, Koizumi would have been completely defenseless if left on her own. Was he concerned about her? Was that why he didn't—

"No," he responded harshly, glaring over his shoulder. It was almost as though he resented her very presence, and that probably wasn't far from the truth. "Haruka is fine on her own."

Koizumi swallowed hard as she increased her pace to try to keep up with his speed. They were weaving through the back alleys of a bustling urban business area. Although the sun had set long ago, the area was still bathed in the glow of neon lights. It was almost hard to hear his utterances over the sound of traffic.

This was quite a different setting than the one they had been in during their last mission. It made her uneasy, if only because she feared what other casualties they might incur trying to combat these "aliens" in a more densely populated area. Though, frankly, there were more pressing matters than innocent bystanders.

"Um..." Koizumi battled inwardly over whether to speak her thoughts honestly or not, but finally found herself blurting them out. "I have faith in Haru-san's capabilities in battle, but... I don't think it's a good idea to leave her by herself."

He silently shot a look back at her.

"Uhh—what I mean is—b-because we're the same person... I know how upset and alone she must feel right now. So, that is... um..."

"You are not the same person anymore," he said coldly, as though completely disregarding Koizumi's concern. Having said that, he maintained his brisk pace, leading Koizumi out from the winding roads to a wide alleyway that appeared to be deserted.

Although she felt as though she had been reprimanded by his curt reply, Koizumi steeled herself and pressed on. "Even so... I think we should look for Haruka-san. No—if you won't help me, Nishi-san, I'll look for her by myself."

"Idiot," he muttered in annoyance, "What do you think we are doing right now?"

Her eyes rounded in surprise. "I thought we were looking for the enemy?"

"No."

Although she felt a tinge of relief, her heart panged a little – Koizumi couldn't help being a little jealous. Even when she had made a motion to embrace Nishi earlier that day, he had not reciprocated in the least. In fact, he had rather quickly pushed her off and snapped at her not to touch him. Maybe there was something between him and Haruka that she was not aware of.

While she was wrapped up in her thoughts, Koizumi did not notice that Nishi had stopped abruptly – at least not until she suddenly collided with his back, nearly sending her reeling back. She stumbled a few steps before steadying herself.

"Why did you stop all of a—"

He held up a hand and her voice cut off quickly. It was only now that she realized just how quiet this area was. Although they had left the busier part of the city behind, this was still a network of alleyways that should have at least had some faint echoes of commotion. But there was nothing...

As the anticipation grew, she could feel the sweat beading along her forehead. Her gaze swept the area, but there seemed nothing amiss. Shouldn't that have been a relief? Why did Nishi still seem so tense?

And then she heard it—although distant and faint at first, it was growing louder. The sound of... wings beating against the air? Koizumi slowly lifted her gaze to the one area that she had yet to look—the sky. And her heart seized.

—

The portrait image that Gantz had given them a glimpse of had revealed little other than the scaled, deformed face of a monstrosity that resembled nothing known in the human world. Haruka had started to doubt that it could be easily located from the ground. She was not sure just how much time had passed, but she had grown antsy just wandering the streets.

Getting a good vantage point would hopefully help her locate what it was she was searching for. Having decided this, she located the tallest building she could—a three-story apartment building—and took to the fire escape. Clambering all the way up to the top, she was hit by a cold breeze the moment she stepped onto the roof.

A shiver ran down her spine as she made her way to the opposite edge, casting her gaze about the ground below. She saw nothing of particular interest. People were like ants in the distance, and surely among them mingled some of her fellow Gantz members. And while she cared not about their fate, it was curious to note that she could find _nothing_ resembling the target that they had been given. She was growing increasingly impatient. Never before had the aliens been so complacent. Was this supposed to be a game of hide-and-go-seek?

Haruka tightened her grip on the hilt of her katana, about ready to drop back off the roof – having established that there was nothing to be gained despite her vantage point – when she heard the noise. It was faint at first, but it was growing louder. Where was it coming from? What... was that sound exactly, anyways?

As though it had finally donned on her, she slowly craned her neck back. Her eyes barely caught sight of it before she had to duck, narrowly dodging out of the way from talons that been aimed straight toward her.

Her heart was drumming furiously in her ears, the adrenalin just beginning. Leaping back to her feet, she brandished her katana, hoisting herself up on the ledge. The creature had dove down, but it was circling back – it intended to swoop down again to attack.

Through the darkness, it was hard to make out exactly what the creature looked like, aside from having a scrawny oblong body covered in scales, and irregularly large wings that pounded mercilessly at the air. Still, Haruka did not have to know her enemy's features to be able to slay it. She took a defensive position as she waited, the wind whipping through her hair. It streamed behind her as she stood steadfast, clutching the hilt of her blade tightly.

_Come on. Come get me,_ she taunted silently, no longer aware of the numbing cold whose icy fingers were still caressing her cheeks.

It started diving toward her again, and she waited. Never before had she faced an aerial opponent, and she understood the disadvantage she faced as a result. However, in the heat of battle, hesitating wasn't an option. It was more than likely to get you killed.

But while those clawed talons approached her rapidly, opening up like the jaws of a vicious beast, ready to snap her up, Haruka did not falter. It was difficult to gauge speed and timing, and she narrowly missed her opportunity, barely moving her head aside in time—although not quite quick enough. One of those claws caught the side of her face, leaving a narrow cut on her cheek. Warm liquid trickled down toward her chin.

Wincing from the pain, she pivoted and chased her blade after the fleeing figure. The katana arced through the air like a silver crescent, and caught the tail of the creature – a tail that she only belatedly realized was barbed. In horror, she tried to wrench her weapon away, but it was too late. She was scooped right up from the rooftop as the creature furiously beat its wings, trying to escape. At the same time, its half-severed tail was swaying dangerously and caught her in the shoulder, ripping right through the Gantz suit and embedding itself deep in her shoulder.

Gritting her teeth, she shoved the katana deeper, using its extending ability to finish off the creature, striking it right through the center. Almost instantly, the wings stopped moving and with a strangled cry, it began a rapid descent.

Forgetting the importance of her weapon in favor of her life, Haruka released it and instead grasped the tail of the creature, ripping it from her shoulder. Completely disconnected from it, she used the Gantz suit to stabilize her fall. It was surprising how gracefully she landed—not unlike a cat, despite the giant crater left behind in the concrete from the impact. And she could hear the corpse of the creature slam against the ground a short distance away.

Despite the stinging pain in her shoulder, blood gradually oozing from the wound and spilling down her arm, Haruka made her way over toward the fallen body of the winged monster. Reaching for the hilt of her katana, she wrenched her weapon out of the carcass before turning her gaze back to the sky.

There appeared to be no more silhouettes circling around. She might be best off returning to her vantage point and scouting again. Now at least she knew what to look for, and she imagined that their true opponent would be one substantially larger than the one she had just faced.

Although she had sustained an injury in the process, it looked more gruesome than it was. She had more limited mobility with her arms because of it, which could prove potentially dangerous, but it wasn't fatal.

Yet just as soon as she started looking to locate another vantage point, she heard a sharp scream. Turning her eyes toward the noise, she saw another silhouette darkening the sky—although this one had something dangling from its grasp. And while she could not see who had become the creature's victim, she recognized that voice.

"Shit." Cursing under her breath, she started in a dead run.

—

Before she had even realized what was happening, Koizumi had been snatched from the ground, and she now found herself dangling precariously in the grasp of a scaled creature. But more pressing than that were the talons that had easily pierced through the Gantz suit, stabbing right through either shoulder. Blood was bubbling up from the wound as she screamed in agony, thrashing about.

She lamented that she had dropped her gun when she had first been caught in its grip. Having been taken by surprised, her body had seized up, and without even thinking she had let go of it. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Through bleary eyes, she looked at her surroundings. Where was Nishi? Hadn't he shot at the creature? Why hadn't he saved her yet? Try as she might to search for him, everything was a blur, passing by all too quickly. Where was she being taken, anyways?

Gritting her teeth through the pain, Koizumi reached her hands up to grasp either talon that held her. If no one was going to rescue her, then she had to be the one to save herself. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she concentrated and started crushing her grip around the claws that held her. The strength of the Gantz suit made her arm muscles bulge and she heard a gruesome snapping sound as one side gave way, and then the other almost simultaneously released her.

Before she could even realize what was happening, she was plummeting through the air. Her mind scrambled, but instinctively she closed her eyes, anticipating the impact. Stupid, she realized, just as soon as she did it—no one was going to swoop in and—

"Koizumi!"

Her eyes fluttered open just as two arms caught her. There was a momentary suspension, and she quickly threw her arms around the person who had rescued her. In the next moment, the two people crashed against the ground noisily, though not half as hard as she had feared. They had lost their balance and ended up in a pile.

"Nishi!" she squeaked out his name, absent of an honorific as she scrambled off of him. His body had acted as a cushion for her fall. Koizumi feared just how much force he had taken in her stead, but though he seemed to have the wind knocked out of him, choking and coughing, he did not seem seriously injured by the impact.

"Moron," he spat at her breathlessly, brows furrowed against those dark, glaring eyes. Despite the sour expression that he was wearing, he _had_ come to save her after all. But it was too soon to feel relieved.

As soon as she turned her gaze up, searching the skies for their enemy, she spotted it swooping down toward them. Obviously the injury it had sustained from her struggling had not been enough to dissuade it. More scared for Nishi, who still seemed to be recovering from the fall, Koizumi threw her body over him, nearly suffocating him.

"What are you do—" he protested, cut off when she squeezed his body against hers.

This was enough. It was enough if she could protect him, even at the expense of her own life. Her heart had soared when she realized that he had been the one to catch her. It reassured her that at least to some degree, he cared for her well-being. Even if that was because of Haruka, it didn't matter.

Yet while she awaited the inevitable claws that would dig into her back and rip her away again, they never came. And she soon realized why when a hissing noise broke through the air, and subsequently she felt warm liquid splash against her back.

Startled, Koizumi peered over her shoulder, gradually loosening her hold on Nishi. It was with surprise that she exclaimed, "H-Haru-san! You killed it!"

The moment she spoke the other woman's name, Nishi gave a sharp shove, pushing her away from him. Seeming to have fully recovered, he made to his feet before digging a hand into his pocket, producing the gun that Koizumi had so clumsily discarded, and he shoved in her face. "Here, take your weapon back."

Sheepishly, she accepted it from him before lifting herself to her feet. "Thank you for saving us, Haru-sa—"

Haruka glared back at her counterpart, turning the blood-covered blade toward her. The point of the katana came to rest just between Koizumi's eyes, keeping a solid distance between the two of them. "Don't thank me, I didn't come here to save the two of you. I'm just getting the rest of the points that I need."

Although she said that, Haruka's eyes wandered to Nishi. She gave him something of a questioning glare—as though she, too, did not understand why he was not lurking and camouflaged. Had she seen him rescue Koizumi? No doubt the misunderstanding had only escalated further if she had.

To break the silence that had settled between them, Koizumi quickly spoke up, despite feeling nervous at the weapon still poised to end her life in the blink of an eye. "Uhh—we... we were trying to find you. We were worried that—"

"Haruka." It was Nishi that interrupted her, starting past Koizumi – but the moment he made the move to approach her, Haruka turned her blade toward him.

"Don't come close to me."

Unfazed, he reached a gloved hand up, taking the blade in a fist. It cut straight through the fabric and slit clear through his flesh. Blood oozed between his fingers and he forced the weapon away from himself. Then he took step after step, gradually closing the distance between himself and Haruka.

Wordlessly, he approached, his gaze drawn to her shoulder. Apparently he had noticed the wound she had sustained earlier.

"Let go," she hissed at him, not foolish enough to think that he held any concern for her condition.

Yet while she tried to pull it from his grasp, he kept a steady hold of the katana, even as it cut deeper into his hand. "That hurts," he complained bitterly, returning her glare in full.

"Then let go," Haruka snapped back. "I have no qualms about killing you."

"Liar." It was clear that those threats gave him no pause. "You can't kill me."

"You want to test that?" she snapped back indignantly.

Without warning, he released the blade and dropped his hand to his side. "Go ahead," Nishi challenged. Although his voice had no inflection of emotion, his lips wore a small crease that resembled a smirk—he was being cocky about it.

Frustrated, she drew her katana back, and swung it forward, as though she intended to lop his head right off of his neck.

"Stop!" Koizumi screamed, despite being rooted in place.

Even without her interference, Haruka's blade came to an abrupt stop as it approached Nishi's neck. Her hands were trembling, and despite her intention to prove his words wrong, she realized in despair that there might be truth to them.

"You can't kill me," he told her, "Because then you'd have no one."

Although initially taken aback by those words, she turned her gaze to Koizumi. "Unless I killed her and took her place."

Stunned by those words, Koizumi took a step back. Was Haruka serious?

Letting out a strangled laugh, Haruka lowered her weapon and turned her back toward the two, stalking off. "Let's stop wasting time. I want to finish this and get out of here." In a few scarce seconds, she disappeared into the darkness and even the echo of her footsteps faded quickly.

"She's not serious is she?" Koizumi questioned nervously.

Nishi turned his steely gaze toward her. "You said before that you're the same person. What do you think?" Rather than seeming genuinely curious about her thoughts, his words seemed to challenge her to prove that they were indeed the same two people, as if he knew Haruka better than she did.

"S-she can't be," Koizumi stuttered, not fully convinced herself. "Because... If I was in her position... Even if I wanted to, I couldn't kill either of you. So if I had to be alone in there world, I'd rather just die and—" She was interrupted when she realized that Nishi had turned his weapon toward her, and she found herself staring down the barrel of the Gantz gun. "Nishi...kun...?"

"As long as you're alive, she sees no point in living—since she seems to think you've taken her place." Those dark eyes held no hint of hesitation as his finger began to pull down on the trigger. " For her to live, you have to die."


	21. Taste of Defeat

**Author's Note:** Thanks to some encouragement, I managed to finally get this written up. I'm incredibly sorry it's been almost a year since the last update. Hopefully the next one will be much, much sooner. There's only one chapter left to go, and if you don't see it in the next month please feel free to pester and remind me. (I think that's why the last update ended up happening, too.) Huge, huge thanks to everyone who has stuck around until now and new readers that have found and enjoyed this story. I hope you like this new chapter and that it was at least somewhat worth the wait.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21 ; Taste of Defeat<strong>

The stench hung so thick in the air that it was overwhelming. Every inhale made her feel like she was drowning in it—the cloying smell of blood and innards, spilled across the concrete like discarded garbage. The body was unrecognizable, and she wasn't even sure it was a person until she heard something crunch beneath her boot. It was that deafening crack that made her hop back in surprise.

Haruka was certain that she had grown accustomed to death and gore, but seeing the dismembered skull of one of the people who had been standing in the Gantz room with her not more than an hour before made her stomach churn. What she had stepped on had been a man's jaw, but beneath the rubble of the shattered street and the severed limbs, she hadn't been able to recognize it at first.

Dizziness gave a sudden surge and she stumbled, barely holding her balance—let alone her grip on the katana in her hand. The throbbing pain in her shoulder had grown into a dull ache, but she had lost so much blood wandering aimlessly. Where was their final target at? Would they somehow miss the opportunity to find it and beat it this time?

Her gaze drifted to the sky. The lights of the city made it impossible to see the stars, and she lamented that this might be her last sight before dying. Strange, she had seemed to have such conviction earlier when declaring that she was willing to kill Nishi. How had she now come to the point where she was idly contemplating her death?

As she peered down, her eyes caught her own reflection in the pool of blood at her feet. The cut on her cheek had been deeper than she thought, but she couldn't feel it at all.

"Just a little longer," she assured herself in a murmur. Yes, this would be her last game, and then she would finish her debt to Nishi. All she had to do was hold on until then.

Kneeling down, she dipped her gloved hand into rippling bodily fluid. Even through the fabric she could feel that it was still warm and had yet to begin coagulating. This person's death had been recent. She smiled wickedly as she wiped the red liquid across her mouth. It tasted coppery as it trickled in past her lips.

"You must be close," Haruka whispered manically, an unfocused gleam in her eyes as she stood, brandishing her weapon with a renewed sense of determination. "Only something _huge_ could rip someone to pieces like this. Not like the last two I faced. And if you're _that_ big, you can't hide very well."

The muscles in her legs rippled and bulged, the concrete beneath her feet collapsing as she crouched and suddenly lifted off, flying through the air before landing on the roof of a nearby building. She scaled up to the top ridge, eyes narrowed as she scanned the skies.

"I... found you."

—

Although her heart was thumping furiously in anticipation that she would hear the familiar sound of the Gantz gun being triggered, it never came. She had continued to stare wide-eyed at Nishi even after he had lowered the weapon and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"You're... not going to kill me?" Her voice trembled. "But what about..."

Rather than answer directly, he turned his back and took a few steps away from her before peering back over his shoulder. "Are you coming or not?" he asked gruffly, clearly impatient. "We have to make up ground to catch up."

As much as he wanted to pass it off as though nothing had happened, she hesitated to tag along like the lost puppy that she had been before. There was no doubt in Koizumi's mind that he was completely capable of turning on her at a moment's notice. He might have decided to spare her for now, but it was abundantly clear that if he deemed it necessary, she would be sacrificed. Her hand tightened on the gun in her hand that he had returned to her earlier.

"What are we going to do when we catch up?" She swallowed hard after she made the query, afraid of what answer he might give her.

"What else? Finish this."

Nishi was dodging her true question. It was clear that Koizumi wanted to know what he intended to do about _her_ at the end. His mind was an impossible one to read. Would he continue to leave her alive as Haruka had wished, or would he decide that she had to die in order for Haruka to have a life to go back to? Even if he did something like that for her, there was an unimaginable rift between the two of them now. Killing Koizumi would only widen that gap between them and no doubt have an undesired effect.

Inwardly she weighed these different outcomes. After a few minutes, she took one tentative step forward, and then another. With each one she grew a little more confident. No matter how she looked at it, there would be no benefit to killing her.

He had just been trying to make a point, to coax her out of being the frightened fawn that she always was. She had to be more independent. Clinging to him like she was would only hold him down more.

"Okay, let's end it."

Those dark irises seemed to scan her facial expression, as though trying to read her sincerity. Finally he said, "We can't afford to waste any more time." He may not have been explicit, but she understood what he was implying.

Nishi's leg muscles bulged as he set off, leaping into the air. She followed after him, utilizing the strength of her suit to propel her body. It was almost exhilarating how the wind whipped through her hair as they flew.

Koizumi knew it was wrong to think of this as fun or as an adventure, but that was how she felt. Especially watching Nishi's back. All memories of his threat moments prior had been washed from her mind. She romanticized him—the feelings that she shared with Haruka brimmed to the surface. Even though he kept her at arms length, she watched him fondly. The vague concern she had for her more experienced counterpart had faded to the back of her mind.

"Stop," Nishi said suddenly as they landed side-by-side on the balcony of an apartment complex.

The atmosphere was completely mismatched for what they were doing. She could see sidelong into the apartment—the lights were on, and a couple was seated at a dinner table, laughing as they chatted with each other. Her cheeks flushed as she watched, somewhat mesmerized by it.

"Koizumi!"

She jumped at the sound of his hushed cry. "S-sorry—"

He grabbed her by the chin, tilting her head almost all the way back. Koizumi struggled against his grasp—it felt like he was trying to break her neck the way he was awkwardly maneuvering her. But she froze the moment her eyes landed on it. "W-what... is that...?" Her mouth felt dry.

"Our target," he confirmed.

A bolt of lightning lit up the sky as though to illuminate the distant, hulking shadow that she saw. The brief flash of light was enough for her to make out part of its face. It was like something right out of a nightmare. She had seen it in pictures before—those stone _things_ that sat on the ledges of old European Cathedrals. What were they called? She couldn't remember.

The ricochet of thunder booming overhead caused her to jolt, her hands flying to Nishi's arm, clinging tightly to it. The fear coursed through her veins. It wasn't her first time laying eyes upon something inhuman, but this was different. This thing looked almost humanoid with legs and arms, despite being covered in scales.

"You're afraid," Nishi assessed with a scoff, as though he was repulsed that she would react with such a realistic human emotion.

She yanked her hands away from him, trying to calm herself. "I-I'm not scared!" Koizumi stammered. Yet for as much as she denied it, she could remember how terrified she had been in the talons of that creature earlier, and it paled in size to what they saw in the distance. "Is... is it coming toward us...?"

Seeming unconcerned by the clear discomfort in her voice, he studied the distant silhouette before replying, "No."

"I wonder if it's going to rain." Even though that was the least of their concerns, her eyes turned up to the skies. It was difficult to see anything because it was so dark out, but there must have been dark clouds smeared across the sky. The rain would surely affect the visibility and their ability to fight effectively.

His hand clapped down on her shoulder hard, startling her again and causing her to hiss in pain. Perhaps he had forgotten the claws that had pierced through her suit earlier. Yet he didn't look apologetic even as he lifted his hand away. "Let's go."

"D-do you have a plan...?"

"Yes. You will initiate combat. I'll target it from behind while it's distracted."

That kind of strategy certainly wasn't in favor of her safety, but she could hardly voice such a complaint. This was not the kind of situation where she had much room for argument. It was kill or be killed, after all, and if she couldn't even be useful enough to play as a distraction, then there was no point in going at all.

Still, she could not completely quell her reservations, and without thinking she asked, "Will... I die?" It was obviously a silly question that he could not answer for her. There was no way of knowing. Everything was a gamble.

"No."

He was lying—she could see it in his eyes, and he hadn't even hesitated. Her heart sank a little as she mounted the ledge of the balcony. Through the gloves of the gantz suit, her hands felt clammy from all the perspiration. She was just glad that her nervousness was so easy to hide.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go first then."

—

She took one steady breath after the other, her chest pressed firmly against the cool cement. Something wet pelted her from above—the first droplet hit her eyelash, and the second her forehead. After only a moment of brief confusion, she realized with an intense sense of urgency that it was starting to rain. Time was already beginning to run out.

Haruka had found a high position on skyscraper, and it had taken a great deal of effort to scale to the top. She had smoothed herself against the roof, blending in with the darkness as she scouted her prey. It had taken some intuitive guesswork to figure out what direction it would head in next, and in her current position, it would pass just below her in less than two minutes.

All she had to do now was calculate the distance to it and leap at the most opportune time. If everything went perfectly, she would strike it completely unaware and end everything in one fell swoop. That was being optimistic, she realized, especially in light of the fact that the wind was picking up with the impending storm.

It was typhoon season in the region, and she felt stupid for not taking that into account. The darkness had lulled her into a false sense of security.

Sweat was pouring down her forehead as she tried to readjust her calculations. She was no genius—this had taken all the brain power she had. It was a simple strategy and so easily it had been countered. Her grip on the katana tightened, and with it, she felt a surging pain in her shoulder.

Gritting her teeth, she snapped her eyes shut. _Think, think, think._ There had to be some way to—

The sound of an earsplitting shriek interrupted her thoughts, and as she jerked her chin up, she saw through the darkness that just a short distance away, someone had started to engage the creature. No, not someone, it was two people. Two silhouettes that, despite the darkness, she could distinguish.

It was clear that the one dodging desperately and aiming randomly at the creature was Koizumi, and despite her seemingly clumsy attempts at attacking it, she was providing a good distraction. Nishi had flanked it from the rear with some well-aimed shots that had hit the creature's wing span and shattered the webbing that had kept it airborne

The whole area shuddered as it came crashing to the ground. Haruka held tight to her position on the roof, squinting as rubble and debris sprayed through the air, making it impossible to see anything below.

There was no longer any time to spend dawdling up here and just observing. Although the bleeding had slowed from the wound on her shoulder, she could feel jarring pain every time she tried to lift her arm. Standing turned out to be more of a laborious task than it should have.

_Shit, I'll be a liability if I go in like this. Or worse, I might..._ Her expression contorted as she abruptly dropped the katana from her hand. It clattered against the floor, and she reached up and clutched at her shoulder.

She almost felt startled at how cool her hand felt against the open wound, and that was when she remembered that the fabric there had been torn. Determined, she grasped at a strip of the shredded arm pad, yanking it off.

Breathing heavily, she knelt to the ground and used the hand of her injured arm to grasp the katana. Biting down on her lip to distract herself from the pain of tensing her muscles, she wrapped the ripped fabric around her hand, latching the weapon to it.

It was a risky gamble, but she needed to be able to wield it with both hands to be effective. After all, she wouldn't have many opportunities to try to take _it_ out. Nishi and Haruka may have managed to disable it, but they hadn't killed it yet.

Her legs felt shaky as she stood on them, swaying upon the ledge where she was standing. It was so difficult to breathe through the pain. Hadn't the wound been fairly superficial from the beginning? Maybe it was worse than she thought?

After a single, shuddering breath, she steeled herself and crouched. As soon as she could make out the figure of the creature, she would have to use the building as a launch pad to propel herself toward it. If she was lucky, then it wouldn't notice her until the last possible second. Her plan hadn't changed. If anything, its success rate had shot up thanks to those two meddlesome pests.

Just as the dust was beginning to settle and clear, she could make out the creature—peering through the surrounding rubble. It was so clear now that she could make out its lips, peeled back to reveal hideous fangs that had already been stained with blood—no doubt that person from earlier that she had found dismembered.

"I'm just going to have one shot at this," she told herself. "I have to make it count."

Grinding her teeth together, she tensed all the muscles in her body. The suit responded automatically, and she could feel the enhanced strength. In a split second she kicked off, and like a bullet she shot through the air so quickly that she had to squint as she adjusted the point of her sword.

Just as she was at the precise distance and the exact angle, the blade of the katana suddenly shot forth, extending directly toward the head of the creature. The speed at which it jutted forth made it nearly impossible to counter, and yet at the last second, the enemy angled itself out of the trajectory, and instead lifted its taloned hand to protect itself.

A hiss rang out through the air and she felt her entire body jerk as the blade punctured straight through flesh, tendons and bone. It had been a hit, but she had completely missed her mark. Instead the creature had caught weapon in its grasp, and with her attached to it so securely, there was no escape.

In slow motion she watched as those long, scaled fingers started to curl down around her, its nails like daggers poised to puncture her body in moments. It was like an iron maiden was closing around her.

Desperate to get away, she released her hold on the hilt of the weapon, tugging fiercely at her hand to try break the knot that she had tied. But the fabric held tight and she dangled helplessly, screaming as the pain tore relentlessly at her shoulder. She didn't care if it tore off her arm, she just had to get away!

"Haruka!"

Her vision was blurry with tears as she looked down. Nishi was staring up at her with a look of determination as he aimed his gun, and for a moment her heart stopped as she heard the sound of the trigger being pulled.

Suddenly she felt the bitter taste of bile roll across her tongue as she realized that he was granting her silent wish, and just as those claws were beginning to constrict around her, she felt her arm swell to an unimaginable size. She was screaming so loudly that her throat felt raw, until finally the flesh was unable to withstand the pressure. Her eyes watched in horror as it exploded, chunks of flesh, blood, and bone being sent in every direction as she was left plummeting toward the ground, barely escaping the grasp of the creature that had very nearly killed her.

For a moment the whole world felt distant. All she could see was darkness, as though it was closing in on her from all corners. Even the excruciating pain she had felt in the moments prior had faded instead into an all-encompassing numbness that wrapped itself around her whole body.

"...ka... ruka..."

She had some vague sense that someone was talking to her, but her hearing was dulled by the the ringing in her ears. It was as though the echo of the Gantz gun firing off was playing over and over like a broken record.

A sharp pain striking her across the cheek brought her gasping back, as though she was taking her first breath after being submerged. Had she been holding it the whole time? Her vision went in and out of focus as she blinked furiously, trying to understand what was happening.

"Quit struggling," a voice scolded harshly, and she winced as she felt her body being jerked around. It was like she was some kind of rag-doll.

Though delirious from the pain, she recognized Nishi's cold glare. He wasn't wearing his jacket as she was used to seeing. It took her a moment to register that he had shrugged it off and was wrapping it around her, trying to staunch the bleeding from her shoulder.

"Y-you shot off her arm!" Koizumi stuttered in a muted cry of terror.

"She would have been killed if I hadn't."

"But she might bleed to death!"

"She won't if we kill it quickly."

Every sentence was spoken in such rapid fire succession that she could scarcely follow the train of their conversation. She felt herself fading so quickly, she could hardly keep her eyes open. A sudden tiredness was crushing her, and she felt the great desire to sleep.

Something echoed as she felt another sting of pain against her face. "Don't close your eyes," Nishi hounded, pulling her upright and leaning her back against a slab of broken off concrete. She wasn't even sure where they were—but they had to be some distance from where they had first engaged the creature.

"We have to hurry. She's fading fast."

"Stay awake." A gloved hand caressed her cheek—or was it her imagination? Her lashes fluttered. Everything was gradually turning into a blurry outline. She wasn't sure she could hold out like the voices wanted. "You'll be safe here."

Suddenly the warmth that had lingered on her skin disappeared, and she was left to the numbing cold that was creeping in on her. Desperately she strained her hearing, but she could make out nohing—no noise of battle, not the cries of her companions, or even the rain as it pelted against her.


End file.
